Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth

Artemis II Crew Share Stunning Earth Images from Lunar Journey

NASA has released the initial high-resolution photographs captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar orbit journey. These visuals were taken following a crucial trans-lunar injection maneuver, which propelled the Orion spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit. The mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, described the images as “spectacular,” highlighting the view from the far side of the Moon.

Earth’s Inverted View and Celestial Context

The first captured image, named “Hello, World,” portrays the Atlantic Ocean in a vast stretch of blue, bordered by the faint luminescence of the atmosphere as Earth passes in front of the Sun. Green auroras illuminate the poles, while the planet appears inverted to the crew, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula visible to the left and the eastern stretch of South America to the right. NASA identified the bright planet at the bottom right as Venus.

“We are getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon,” mission specialist Jeremy Hansen told Houston-based mission control after the burn.

Artemis II is now on a trajectory that will loop the crew around the Moon’s far side before returning to Earth. This marks the first time humans have ventured beyond Earth’s orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The crew is expected to reach the Moon’s far side on 6 April and return to Earth on 10 April.

“It’s like walking out back at your house, trying to take a picture of the moon,” Wiseman remarked to mission control. “That’s what it feels like right now.”

Following the burn, the astronauts were so engrossed in capturing the view that they neglected to clean the windows. Wiseman later contacted mission control to inquire about the best method for removing the smudges. The images include a striking contrast between day and night on Earth, marked by the terminator line, as well as a near-dark Earth with human lights twinkling in the night.

Historical Comparison and Mission Significance

NASA also shared a side-by-side comparison of the Earth’s appearance in 2026 with a similar image taken by Apollo 17 in 1972. “We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks gorgeous from space!” the agency noted in a statement.