An amateur astronomer has captured the unique sight of the International Space Station flying across the Sun.

Greg Esson filmed the once-in-a-year moment and has shared the footage on Facebook.

Mr Esson, 46, told Kent Online: "The Space Station goes around the Earth every 92 minutes but it is very rare for it it to pass the face of the Sun like that.

"The odds are that you wouldn't get a similar shot for another 12 months.

"It was more than1,000 miles away over the Bay of Biscay heading towards Northern Spain at the time I took the video.

"This is a first attempt so I'm quite pleased. "

Mr Esson filmed the spectacular sight from near his home in Maxton, Dover, at 3.15pm last Sunday.

He used a telescope with a special camera with a filter for protection from the Suns's harmful glare.

Mr Esson says the space station travels at more than 17,000mph and is at an average height of 240 miles.

Mr Esson, has been a keen astronomer for 10 years.

He is a salesman at car parts and accessories firm SC Motor Factors in Granville Street, Dover.

The International Space station is an artificial live-in satellite. It was first launched in 1998 and is expected to operate for another 10 years.

It is an environmental space research laboratory in a project that involves 26 countries including Britain, France, Canada, the USA and Russia.

Astronomers always warn people to never look at the sun directly through any kind of optical aid without the correct and certified protection.

Doing so can cause permanent eye damage or blindness.