Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth

Artemis II Crew Captures Stunning Earth View from Lunar Orbit

NASA has unveiled the initial high-definition images of Earth captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar journey. The mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, snapped the “spectacular” visuals following the crew’s final engine burn, which propelled them toward the Moon. These photographs offer a rare glimpse of our planet as it emerges from the Sun’s shadow, with the Atlantic Ocean stretching across the frame and faint atmospheric glows outlining its contours. Green auroras shimmer at both poles, creating a striking contrast against the deep blue of the ocean.

While the Earth appears inverted in the images, the western Sahara and Iberian peninsula are visible on the left, while the eastern portion of South America stretches toward the right. NASA confirmed the bright planet in the bottom right corner is Venus. The trans-lunar injection maneuver, executed early on Friday, propelled the Orion spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit as the four astronauts prepare for their 200,000-mile journey to the Moon.

Around the Moon’s Far Side

Artemis II is now on an elliptical orbit that will carry the crew past the Moon’s far side and back. This marks the first human venture beyond Earth’s orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The crew is scheduled to pass the Moon’s opposite side on 6 April and return to Earth on 10 April.

“We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks gorgeous from space!”

Following the burn, the crew was “mesmerized,” capturing photographs as they gazed at the illuminated far side of Earth, according to mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. He shared with mission control in Houston that the view was extraordinary, with the Moon’s light casting a glow on the planet’s shadowed regions. Wiseman later contacted mission control to inquire about cleaning the windows, humorously noting that their excitement for space photography had left them smudged.

The commander had previously struggled with adjusting exposure settings to capture Earth’s vast expanse, comparing the experience to taking a photo of the Moon from his backyard. “That’s what it feels like right now,” he relayed. However, the challenge has since been overcome. Another image taken by Wiseman reveals the Earth divided by the line between day and night, known as the terminator. A later shot shows the planet shrouded in near-darkness, with human-made lights twinkling like stars in the night.

NASA also released a side-by-side comparison of the 2026 Earth view and a similar image from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The visual contrast highlights both the technological advancements and the enduring beauty of our planet from space.