Photographer Recreates Iconic Shot of E.T. Crossing the Moon

A photograph of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial crossing the horizon silhouetted in opposition to the Moon was two years within the making, Michael Meighan tells PetaPixel.

Meighan and his pal Nathan Edwards got down to recreate the long-lasting scene from the Steven Spielberg-directed film when E.T. takes flight on a BMX and crosses the Moon.

“We’d previously created a similar image where Nathan climbed a local hill near Cardiff, Wales, and I photographed him from roughly five kilometres away [three miles],” Meighan explains.

“The image was very well received on social media, and one comment suggested we try an E.T.-style shot next.”

Far More Difficult Than Expected

“Over the past two years, we attempted the concept several times,” Meighan says.

“We did manage to capture versions of the shot along the way, but there were always small issues — focus slightly off, shutter speeds not quite right, or some other detail that stopped me from being completely happy with the result.”

Meighan lives in Wales, U.Ok., that means the climate is commonly in opposition to photographers wishing for clear skies.

“There were many nights when the skies were perfect, but the Moon wasn’t in the right position, and just as many when the alignment was ideal, but the weather let us down,” says Meighan.

“It was frustrating at times, but we kept at it, and finally, on the first full Moon of 2026, everything came together — and the image was exactly what we had envisioned.”

Meighan used a Sigma 150-60mm Sport lens; the longest focal size is sufficient to create the compression wanted to tug the shot off.

Last month, PetaPixel featured the work of photographer Travis Burke, who captured a skateboarder silhouetted in opposition to Earth’s pure satellite tv for pc in California.

The picture is harking back to the one astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy captured final month, displaying a skydiver silhouetted in entrance of the Sun. McCarthy used his specialised astro cameras to seize one thing really distinctive.

More of Meighan’s work might be discovered on his Instagram.

Image credit: Photographs by Michael Meighan