
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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.



LATEST POSTS
- 1
April’s full pink moon will rise in the night sky this week - 2
How did birds survive while dinosaurs went extinct? - 3
German inflation soars to 2.7% in March as Iran war drives up prices - 4
Black Friday streaming deals 2025: Grab the Disney+ Hulu bundle for only $5 and save over 60% - 5
Electric discovery on Mars! Scientists find tiny lightning bolts coming from Red Planet dust clouds
PA accuses Israel of 'human trafficking' after planeload of Gazans arrives in South Africa
Airport wait times won't return to normal until Congress reaches a deal to pay TSA. Here's why they still can't come to an agreement.
Flu season is just beginning, but doctors are already on high alert
5 Arising Professions in Environmentally friendly power
Ancient Egyptian pharaoh's boat is being reassembled in public at the Grand Egyptian Museum
Russia Creates New Military Branch Dedicated To Drone Warfare
Like many holiday traditions, lighting candles and fireplaces is best done in moderation
No respite for German economy as experts slash forecast over Iran war
Germany's first Omani LNG shipments arrive despite Middle East disruptions













