Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth
Artemis II Crew Captures Stunning Earth Images
Nasa has released the first high-resolution photographs of Earth taken by the Artemis II crew as they begin their journey around the Moon. The mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, captured the “spectacular” images following the completion of a final engine burn that directed the spacecraft toward the Moon. This burn marked the end of the crew’s Earth orbit phase and the start of their voyage to the Moon.
The first image, titled “Hello, World,” highlights the vast blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by a subtle atmospheric glow as Earth passes in front of the Sun. Green auroras are visible at both poles, while the Earth appears inverted from the crew’s vantage point, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula on the left and the eastern portion of South America on the right. NASA identified the bright planet in the lower-right corner as Venus.
“We are getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon,” said mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, who reported the crew’s fascination with the scene from their position near the spacecraft.
After the burn, the crew was seen eagerly photographing the view through the windows, which had become smudged by their enthusiasm. Wiseman initially struggled with adjusting exposure settings to capture Earth from such a distance, comparing the experience to “walking out back at your house, trying to take a picture of the moon.” He later contacted mission control in Houston to inquire about cleaning the windows.
Apollo 17 Comparison Reveals Earth’s Beauty
Another image from Wiseman displays the Earth divided by day and night, the boundary marked as the terminator. A subsequent photo reveals the planet in near-darkness, with human-made lights shimmering across the night. NASA also shared a side-by-side comparison of this 2026 view with one taken by the Apollo 17 team in 1972, the last mission to land humans on the Moon.
The Artemis II crew is now on a path that will orbit the Moon’s far side and return to Earth. Their mission marks the first time humans have traveled beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972. They are expected to pass the Moon’s far side on 6 April and complete the return journey by 10 April.
“We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks stunning from space!” remarked NASA in a statement, reflecting on the images’ significance.