Last Space Shuttle Launch Captured In Stunning HDR

The Space Shuttle Endeavour made its final voyage last week, and NASA-funded photographers were on hand to capture the historic event. Rather than release something boring, the team created the gorgeous HDR photograph above.

So how did they did create this ogle-worthy image? The imaging experts took 20,000 photographs in 13 seconds using six sets of cameras. Each image was taken at a different exposure setting, a HDR shooting technique that lets the photographers balance the brightness of the rocket engine takeoff with the daylight in the background. Six of their best photographs were joined into the stills shown below. They also posted a video on NASA’s website that’s worth a click-through to watch. [Nasa via Petapixel]