Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth

Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth

Mission Overview

NASA released the first high-resolution photographs of Earth captured by the Artemis II team during their lunar orbit journey. These visuals were taken following a critical engine burn that propelled the crew toward their closest celestial neighbor. The commander, Reid Wiseman, described the images as “spectacular,” capturing the moment after the spacecraft exited Earth’s orbit.

Earth’s Appearance

The inaugural photograph, named ‘Hello, World,’ highlights the expansive blue of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by a faint atmospheric glow as Earth emerges from the Sun’s shadow. Green auroras shimmer at both poles, while the planet appears inverted. To the left, the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula are visible, and to the right, South America’s eastern coast stretches into the frame. NASA noted a bright planet in the bottom right corner as Venus.

Capturing the Moment

After completing a trans-lunar injection burn on Friday, the crew was “glued to the windows” snapping photos, as mission specialist Jeremy Hansen relayed to Houston. “We are getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon,” he said in a

transmission

. Wiseman, however, faced challenges initially. “It’s like walking out back at your house, trying to take a picture of the moon,” he compared the task to a typical home activity, adding, “That’s what it feels like right now.”

Lunar Path and Future Dates

Artemis II now follows a circular route that will take the crew past the Moon’s far side and back to Earth. The mission marks the first human venture beyond Earth’s orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew will reach the Moon’s shadowed side on 6 April and return to Earth on 10 April. Despite the distance, the astronauts’ excitement caused the windows to become smudged, prompting Wiseman to request cleaning instructions from mission control.

Additional Perspectives

A second view from Wiseman reveals Earth divided by day and night, the boundary marked by the terminator. NASA also shared an image of the planet in near-total darkness, with human-made lights twinkling like stars. A side-by-side comparison was released between this 2026 snapshot and the Apollo 17 photograph from 1972. “We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks gorgeous from space!” NASA concluded in a

statement

.