Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth

Artemis II Crew Captures Stunning Earth Image

NASA has unveiled the initial high-definition photographs of Earth captured by the Artemis II crew as they embark on their lunar journey. These visuals, taken by commander Reid Wiseman, depict the planet in a unique perspective, highlighting the vast blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The image, labeled “Hello, World,” is framed by the faint luminescence of Earth’s atmosphere, with the planet briefly eclipsing the Sun and vibrant green auroras glowing at both poles.

The Earth appears inverted in the frame, showcasing the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula to the left, while the eastern coast of South America stretches toward the right. NASA pinpointed Venus as the bright celestial body positioned at the lower right. These images were captured following a trans-lunar injection burn that successfully propelled the Orion spacecraft from Earth’s orbit, marking the first step in the crew’s mission to traverse over 200,000 miles toward the Moon.

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

“We are witnessing a breathtaking view of the Earth’s dark side, illuminated by the Moon,” said mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, speaking to mission control in Houston.

After the burn, the crew was captivated by the view, with Hansen noting they were “glued to the windows” during the photo session. Wiseman later contacted mission control to inquire about cleaning the windows, as the astronauts’ excitement had left them smudged. Initially, he found it challenging to capture Earth from the spacecraft, likening the effort to taking a picture of the Moon from his home. “That’s what it feels like right now,” he shared, emphasizing the difficulty of adjusting exposure settings at such a distance.

Additional images from Wiseman reveal Earth divided by the boundary between light and darkness, known as the terminator. Another photograph shows the planet in near-total darkness, with human-made lights twinkling like stars. NASA also shared a side-by-side comparison between the 2026 view and the Apollo 17 imagery from 1972. The agency concluded, “We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks absolutely magnificent from space!”