Photo: NASA
The Artemis II mission is coming to a close. The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft are expected to return to Earth today following a 10-day trip that took them to the moon and back. During their time flying around our satellite, they captured some breathtaking images, including some intriguing shots of the far side of the moon, as well pictures of Earth from thousands of miles away. NASA has now shared them with the public so everyone can take in the beauty and significance of these photographs.
One of the most impressive images taken by the Artemis II is Earthset, which mirrors the iconic Earthrise image taken 58 years ago by astronaut Bill Anders. Taken during the Apollo 8 mission, Earthrise is credited with propelling the global environmental movement, as it depicted our planet like a fragile blue orb floating in space.
“As the astronauts flew over the moon’s far side, the crew photographed and described terrain features including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the moon slowly evolved over time,” NASA shares. “They also noted differences in color, brightness, and texture, which provide clues that help scientists understand the composition and history of the lunar surface.”
During the mission, the Artemis II crew also became the first humans to experience a solar eclipse in space, which only they could see due to their unique position behind the moon. The images capture the sun’s corona, as well as Saturn, Mars, and Mercury, which appear as three bright stars on the bottom right of the image. The crew also reported six meteoroid impact flashes on the darkened lunar surface.
The photographs taken by the astronauts even took their NASA peers by surprise. “At first, their descriptions didn’t quite match what we were seeing on our screens,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist at the agency’s headquarters. “Now that higher resolution images are coming down, we can finally experience the moments they were trying to share and truly appreciate the scientific return provided by these images and our other research on this mission.”
On their way back to Earth, the astronauts have continued to document the amazing views through their window, including a marvelous image of the Milky Way. “A stunning snapshot in time,” said NASA captioned the image. “The Milky Way’s elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars.”
Scroll down to see more amazing images taken during the history-making Artemis II mission and follow NASA on Instagram to stay up to date.
NASA has released some breathtaking images from the Artemis II lunar flyby, including a solar eclipse from space…
Photo: NASA
…and images of a crescent Earth from thousands of miles away.
Photo: NASA
“As the astronauts flew over the moon’s far side, the crew photographed and described terrain features including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the moon slowly evolved over time.”
Photo: NASA
Photo: NASA
“They also noted differences in color, brightness, and texture, which provide clues that help scientists understand the composition and history of the lunar surface.”
Photo: NASA
Photo: NASA
On their way back to Earth, the astronauts continued to document the amazing views through their window, including a marvelous image of the Milky Way.
Photo: NASA
