Giant leap for frogkind

Photo / Nasa

A frog found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday when a Nasa spacecraft was launched - that sent the frog rocketing skywards too. The whole thing was captured by Nasa cameras set up to film the launch of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (Ladee).

The picture, that has since made headlines around the world, was not altered in any way, said a spokesman for Wallops/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the US state of Virginia.

It's believed the frog was attracted by a pool of water that sits on the launchpad to protect the pad from damage and also suppresses noise.

The Ladee is on its way to the moon and will gather information about the lunar atmosphere.