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NASA releases stunning new images captured by the Artemis II moon mission, including 'Earthset' and a solar eclipse from space
NASA releases stunning new images captured by the Artemis II moon mission, including 'Earthset' and a solar eclipse from space

NASA has released the first images taken by the Artemis II crew during their historic trip around the far side of the moon.

The four astronauts — NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen — spent Monday’s seven-hour lunar flyby taking photos and making observations from the Orion spacecraft, which they named Integrity.

Among the stunning new images uploaded by NASA on Tuesday was a photo of “Earthset,” which was captured through the Orion capsule’s window at 6:41 p.m. ET, according to NASA.

"A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface," the photo caption reads. "The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.”

Visible in the foreground is the moon, with the Ohm crater’s “terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks,” per NASA’s description.

"Earthset," captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. ET on April 6, during the Artemis II crew's flyby of the moon.
'Earthset,' captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. ET on April 6, during the Artemis II crew's flyby of the moon.
(NASA)

The crew also captured “Earthrise,” recreating the iconic photo taken during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.

Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate crescent, with only its upper edge illuminated. The planet’s soft blue hue and scattered white cloud systems stand out against the blackness of space, while the lower portion fades into night. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image, Earthrise, reveals a striking alignment of Earth and Moon, with the Moon in the top foreground and the Earth below. Along the lunar horizon, rugged terrain is silhouetted against the bright crescent Earth. Both bodies are oriented with their north poles to the left and south poles to the right, offering a unique perspective of our home planet from deep space.
Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side.
(NASA)

Also included in the new batch of images is a view of the solar eclipse that the crew experienced near the end of the flyby.

Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the moon fully eclipsing the sun. From the crew's perspective, the moon appears large enough to completely block the sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and extending the view far beyond what is possible from Earth.
Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the moon fully eclipsing the sun. From the crew's perspective, the moon appears large enough to completely block the sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and extending the view far beyond what is possible from Earth.
(NASA)

The astronauts donned eclipse viewers to protect their eyes during the nearly hour-long celestial event. But they still struggled to put into words what they were witnessing.

From left: Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen , Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover of the Artemis II crew use eclipse viewers to protect their eyes during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby.
From left: Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen , Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover of the Artemis II crew use eclipse viewers to protect their eyes during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby.
(NASA)

“Humans probably have not evolved to see what we're seeing," Glover told mission control. "It is truly hard to describe.”

Captured from the Orion spacecraft near the end of the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the sun beginning to peek out from behind the moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality.
Captured from the Orion spacecraft near the end of the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the sun beginning to peek out from behind the moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality.
(NASA)

Other photos captured close-up views of the lunar surface, including little-seen craters and basins from the vantage point of the crew, which at one point came within about 4,000 miles of the moon.

During Monday’s flyby, the Artemis II set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by humans — 252,756 miles, surpassing the previous mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin. The right portion of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to more rugged terrain around the rim. Vavilov and other craters and their ejecta are accentuated by long shadows at the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. The image was captured with a handheld camera at a focal length of 400 millimeters, as the crew flew around the far side of the Moon.
A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin.
(NASA)
In this view of the moon, taken by the Artemis II crew at 2:19 p.m. ET, just before the crew began their observation period, Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the moon's crust in an eruption billions of years ago. This 600-mile-wide impact crater lies along the transition between the near and far sides and is sometimes partly visible from Earth. The small, bright crater to its left is Byrgius, which has 250-mile rays extending out from its basin.
In this view of the moon, taken by the Artemis II crew at 2:19 p.m. ET, just before the crew began their observation period, Orientale basin is visible in the center, alongside a black patch of ancient lava.
(NASA)
The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. ET on April 6, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side.
This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. ET on April 6, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side.
(NASA)

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