NASA has released the first set of photos taken by the Artemis II moon mission.
The first image, titled ‘Earthset’, was taken from the far side of the moon, and shows Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon.
This is a lovely nod to Earthrise – the famous photo captured by NASA’s Apollo 8 mission more than 50 years ago.
‘The Artemis II crew captured this view of an Earthset on April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. The image is reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise image taken by astronaut Bill Anders 58 years earlier as the Apollo 8 crew flew around the Moon,’ NASA explained on X.
The second photo is titled ‘The Artemis II Eclipse’, and shows the moment the moon eclipsed the sun.
‘Totality, beyond Earth,’ the White House said as it shared the photo on X (formerly Twitter).
‘From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun, revealing a view few in human history have ever witnessed.’
The stunning snaps have been released hours after NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, became the first people to travel around the far side of the moon in over 50 years.
The first image, titled ‘Earthset’, was taken from the far side of the moon, and shows Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon
The second photo is titled ‘The Artemis II Eclipse’, and shows the moment the moon eclipsed the sun
During their six–hour lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew reached a staggering 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth, surpassing the distance achieved by the Apollo missions and setting a new record.
In doing so, they became the first humans in half a decade to witness the far side of the moon with the naked eye.
From their position 41,072 miles (66,098 km) above the lunar surface, the moon appeared about as large as a basketball held at arm’s length.
The first image
‘Earthset’ is a lovely nod to Earthrise – the famous photo captured by NASA’s Apollo 8 mission more than 50 years ago (pictured)