Artemis II crew take ‘spectacular’ image of Earth

Artemis II Crew Captures Stunning Earth View from Lunar Orbit

NASA released its first high-resolution photographs of Earth captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar journey. The mission’s lead astronaut, Reid Wiseman, snapped these images following a critical engine burn that established their path toward the Moon. The photo titled “Hello, World” showcases the Atlantic Ocean’s expansive blue hue, bordered by the faint glow of Earth’s atmosphere as the planet passes in front of the Sun, with green auroras visible at both poles.

Astronauts’ Unique Perspective

From their vantage point, the Earth appears inverted, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula visible on the left and the eastern tip of South America on the right. NASA pinpointed the bright planet at the bottom right as Venus. The images were taken after a trans-lunar injection burn on Friday morning, propelling the Orion spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit as the four astronauts embarked on their 200,000-mile voyage to the Moon.

“We are getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon,” said mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, describing the crew’s fascination with the imagery.

Artemis II is now following a trajectory that will circle the Moon’s far side and return to Earth. This marks the first human mission outside Earth’s orbit since Apollo 17’s 1972 landing. The crew is expected to reach the Moon’s far side on 6 April and return to Earth by 10 April.

Wiseman initially struggled with capturing clear Earth photos from the spacecraft, likening the challenge to taking a shot of the Moon from his backyard. “That’s what it feels like right now,” he remarked during a communication with Houston. However, the crew’s excitement quickly led to a practical issue: their enthusiasm had left the windows soiled, prompting Wiseman to call mission control for cleaning instructions.

Earth’s Dual Imagery

Another photograph by Wiseman highlights the division between day and night on Earth, known as the terminator. A separate image reveals the planet shrouded in near-total darkness, with human-made lights twinkling like stars in the night. NASA also shared a side-by-side comparison between this year’s view and the Apollo 17 images from 1972, emphasizing the enduring beauty of Earth from space.

“We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks gorgeous from space!”