NASA has released the first photographs taken by the Artemis II astronauts during their fly-by of the Moon. The first image shows an 'Earthset' as the astronauts glimpsed our home planet peeking out beyond a cratered lunar landscape.
The second photograph captures a spectacular solar eclipse as the Moon blocked out the Sun. NASA did not disclose which astronaut took the photographs as they return to Earth after the fly-by.
The Earthset photo resonates with the famous Earthrise image taken by Bill Anders aboard Apollo 8 in 1968, an iconic shot that significantly contributed to the environmental movement.
The astronauts took these photos during a six-hour flyby, which included a period of radio silence while their capsule was positioned behind the Moon.
Nasa indicated that the Earthrise image was captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 18:41 Eastern Daylight Time (2341 BST) on Monday, depicting the dark side of Earth in nighttime while clouds swirl over Australia and Oceania.
Nasa described the Moon's Ohm crater in the foreground, noting its terraced edges and central peaks that form during a crater's creation.
During the mission, witnessing the solar eclipse was a highlight for the astronauts. Victor Glover remarked it felt "sci-fi" and “unreal," especially the view of the solar corona during the eclipse.
Glover stated, 'This continues to be unreal. The Sun has gone behind the Moon and the corona is still visible, creating a bright halo around the entire Moon.' He added, 'The Earth is so bright out there and the Moon is just hanging in front of us.'
NASA also presented another image, referred to as 'Ready for a close up,' focusing on the Moon’s cratered surface.
