Stunning photos taken by the Artemis II crew were released Tuesday, offering spectacular views from the far side of the moon and an eclipse visible only from space.
One image shows an “Earthset” — Earth dipping behind the lunar horizon. Part of the planet is shrouded in darkness while Australia and Oceania are visible, and lunar surface detail fills the foreground. The White House called the image “Humanity, from the other side.”
The photo was captured through a window of the Orion spacecraft Monday evening during the Artemis II flyby, marking the first time humans have seen portions of the moon’s far side with the naked eye. The crew is also the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.
Another striking image shows the moon eclipsing the sun. That eclipse could not be seen from Earth; only the spacecraft crew observed it and initially wore eclipse glasses until the moon fully covered the sun. NASA said the moon appeared large enough from the crew’s vantage to produce nearly 54 minutes of totality, extending the view well beyond what is possible on Earth.
Astronaut Victor Glover described the sight, saying the sun’s corona remained visible and bright, creating “a halo almost around the entire moon,” and that the photos don’t capture the experience. He told NASA he was “really glad” the mission launched in time to witness the roughly one-hour eclipse and called the view “truly hard to describe” and “amazing.”
NASA also shared a photo showing ridged craters and long shadows along the boundary between lunar day and night, where low-angle sunlight reveals rugged topography in striking detail.
The Artemis II crew is now headed back to Earth and is expected to splash down off the California coast near San Diego on Friday evening.