The now-viral shot took photographer Leonardo Sens three years to achieve.

When the moon went down last Sunday, Brazilian photographer Leonardo Sens was there to capture a unique moment with the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer.

According to the Daily Mail, Sens was seven miles away from the statue itself — on Icaraí Beach in the Rio de Janeiro municipality of Niterói — when he snapped the perfectly timed event.

Standing tall at 98-feet, the iconic statue of Christ looked even more impressive than it does ordinarily with the moon seemingly in Christ’s hands. However, the photo came after extensive research of the moon’s alignment with the statue, and effort by the photographer.

As Sens shared with the Daily Mail, he’d been taking photos in the area since 2005 and had been trying to get this picture for three years. He’d also bought a new lens two years ago in order to get a better of shot of both the moon and the sun.

But his patience and determination finally paid off last weekend — although, it was touch and go, with his efforts on Saturday being thwarted by clouds covering the moon. However, he went back to the beach on Sunday and managed to get the long-awaited shot, sharing:

“In the end, everything went well and I was able to register the long-awaited photo,” the photographer told Brazilian news outlet G1.

While it’s wonderful to see that level of perseverance and skill in highlighting the beauty of nature and Christ, the photographer’s final photos remind us all that sometimes a bit of patience really can pay off!