
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The Artemis 2 crewmembers captured a spectacular view of Earth setting behind the moon through the window of their Orion spacecraft on Flight Day 6 of NASA's historic 10-day mission, as they passed over the far side of the lunar surface. They called it "Earthset," in reference to the iconic image captured by Bill Anders on Christmas Eve in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission.
What is it?
The photo was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT (1041 GMT) on April 6, as the majority of Earth's surface was veiled in shadow from the perspective of the Artemis 2 crew. Just a crescent of our planet could be seen illuminated by direct sunlight, revealing white clouds swirling over Australia and Oceana.
Countless craters can be seen scarring the moon's ancient surface, including the 40-mile-wide (64-kilometer-wide) expanse of Ohm Crater, which can be seen close to where the lunar horizon meets the shadowed night side of Earth. The crater features a prominent central peak and a sloping "terraced" rim.
NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — the crew of the Orion spacecraft they named "Integrity" — witnessed Earth slip silently from view shortly after, as they passed over the far side of the moon.
They would later experience a planned 40-minute communications blackout while traveling beyond the range of NASA's relay satellites. But then, they witnessed an iconic "Earthrise" even more similar to what Anders saw in the 60s, as our Blue Marble emerged from behind its natural satellite.
The most detailed Artemis SLS Lego set, this adult-aimed model has 3,601 pieces and stands 28-inches (71 cm) tall. We thought "Lego has knocked it out of the park" in our full build review. Don't forget about the newer, more compact and much cheaper Lego Technic SLS set, only $60, also 'launches' with some clever Technic moving parts.
Later that day, the crew would be treated to one of the rarest sights in human history, a total solar eclipse witnessed from a free-flying spacecraft, as Orion's trajectory placed the moon between the NASA spacecraft and our parent star.
Want to know more? Then be sure to stay up to date with the latest news with our Artemis 2 liveblog. You can also find out what the Orion crew will be getting up to over the rest of their 10 day lunar trip with our day-by-day breakdown of the trailblazing mission, which has seen humans travel farther from Earth than ever before.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Hyundai Is Keeping the i30 Alive While America Keeps Losing Cars Like It - 2
EU Commission slams Israel's death penalty law for Palestinians - 3
SpaceX launches Starlink missions in dual-coast spaceflight doubleheader (videos) - 4
Sources: IDF does not actually know how many ballistic missiles Iran has left - 5
Tremendous Spelunking: Cool Caverns All over the Planet
A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds
Step by step instructions to Pick A Pre-owned vehicle Stage
Unwinding History's Secrets: Looking for the Response to Antiquated Human advancements
Dancing through the crackdown: The satirical song soundtracking post-Khamenei Iran
Soldiers seize power in Guinea-Bissau and detain the president
JW Marriott Tokyo: an elegant retreat amid whirlwind of the city
The Incomparable Advanced cameras: Which One Will Win?
As tetanus vaccination rates decline, doctors worry about rising case numbers
New Gaza militia declares war on Hamas: 'Your dirty shoes are more honorable'













