27.10.2026
art002e021110 (April 6, 2026) – As the Artemis II crew came close to passing behind the Moon and experiencing a planned loss of signal, they captured this image of a crescent Earth. Seen from afar, it almost looks like a circular arc – except when backlit, as in other images captured by the Artemis II crew. Earth is in a crescent phase, with sunlight coming from the right. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over muted blue in the Australia and Oceania region. Credit: NASA
The Planets Shine Bright
art002e015967 (April 6, 2026) - The Sun is eclipsed by the Moon in this April 6, 2026, image from NASA’s Orion. The glow around the Moon is called zodiacal light, which describes interstellar dust that’s reflecting sunlight. Unlike minutes-long eclipses as viewed from Earth, the Artemis II crew saw the Sun hide behind the Moon for nearly an hour. Because the astronauts were so close to the Moon (4,067 miles at closest approach), the Moon appeared much larger than the Sun; because of this, it took longer for the Sun to make its transit across the Moon and peek out the other side. From Earth, the Moon and Sun appear about the same size, so even small changes in their alignment quickly bring the Sun back into view, making totality much shorter. The two bright spots to the right of the Moon are Saturn and Mars. Credit: NASA
Orientale Basin at the Edge of Light
art002e020686 (April 6, 2026) – A portion of the Moon’s farside is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface. A section of Orientale Basin is visible along the upper right portion of the lunar disk, its structure subtly revealed under grazing illumination. This lighting enhances contrast across the cratered terrain, highlighting variations in surface features and providing insight into the Moon’s geologic history. Credit: NASA
Earthset on the Far Side
art002e021219 (April 6, 2026) – Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is in nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. Credit: NASA
Earthrise Captured by Orion
art002e016299 (April 6, 2026) - Earthrise captured from a camera mounted on one of the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate sliver - with the portion on the left darkened by shadow and a portion on the right tucking away behind the Moon. A closer look reveals that the Moon occupies the bottom right portion of the photo, identifiable by the edge of it seen in visible light near the bottom corner. Credit: NASA
Orion and the Eclipse
art002e016318 (April 6, 2026) - The solar eclipse captured from a camera mounted on one of the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. The science community is investigating whether the glow around the Moon is from zodiacal light -- interstellar dust that’s reflecting sunlight -- the solar corona, or a combination of the two. Unlike minutes-long eclipses as viewed from Earth, the Artemis II crew saw the Sun hide behind the Moon for nearly an hour. In this image, Venus can be spotted on the left, and Saturn on the right of the Moon. Credit: NASA
Taking a Peek at Earth from the Far Side of the Moon
art002e021283 (April 6, 2026) – The Earth appears to be peeking out over the horizon of the Moon,but pictured here is actually an Earthset. During an Earthset, the planet appears to sink below the lunar horizon. In this scene, a partially lit crescent Earth drops behind the Moon as seen by crew on the Orion spacecraft. The image also shows the vast canvas of the Moon’s surface with its overlapping craters and basins. Credit: NASA
Observing the Features of the Moon
art002e016130 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Wiseman and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
Guiding the Journey
art002e012495 (April 7, 2026) - The engines on the Orion spacecraft’s service module are prominently featured in this image from flight day six of the Artemis II mission. Taken from a camera mounted on a solar array wing, the largest is the orbital maneuvering system engine, surrounded by eight smaller auxiliary thrusters. Credit: NASA
A Sunrise for Orion
art002e009575 (April 6, 2026) - The Sun is rising at the left edge of the Moon, ending a nearly one-hour total solar eclipse on April 6, 2026. While the Sun hid behind the Moon, the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft, pictured in the forefront, saw a Moon shrouded in night. This offered a perfect opportunity to look for rarely seen phenomena. And the moment delivered. Calling down to Earth at 9 p.m. ET the crew reported seeing six impact flashes, which are light flashes that are created when meteoroids, traveling many thousands of miles per hour, smash into the Moon’s surface. Credit: NASA
Lunar Selfie
(April 6, 2026) – Midway through their lunar observation period, the Artemis II crew members – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – pause to turn the camera around for a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft.
Keeper of the Night Sky
art002e009278 (April 6, 2026) - Just over half of the Moon fills the left half of the image. The near side, characterized by the dark patches of ancient lava, is visible on the top third of the lunar disk. Orientale basin, a round crater in the center with a black patch of ancient lava in the center, is wrapped in rings of mountains. The round black spot northeast of Orientale is Grimaldi crater, and Aristarchus crater is the bright white dot in the midst of a dark grey lava flow at the top of the image.
Seriously Moonstruck
art002e012129 (April 6, 2026) - The lower half of the Moon hangs suspended in time in this photograph from the Artemis II crew during the lunar flyby observation period. In the upper center of the photo, the Orientale basin is the prominent feature, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon’s crust in an eruption billions of years ago. Credit: NASA
Birkhoff Crater in Low-Light Detail
art002e012723 (April 6, 2026) – A close-up view of the Birkhoff crater on the Moon’s far side, captured by the Artemis II crew, shows the surface under low-light conditions. Located within the lunar highlands, Birkhoff is an impact crater shaped by billions of years of collisions. In this underexposed image, reduced brightness reveals subtle variations in texture and topography that are often less visible in brighter views. The lighting emphasizes differences in surface roughness and ejecta patterns, providing a clearer look at the crater’s structure and the surrounding terrain.
Artemis Era Earthrise
art002e009280 (April 6, 2026) – Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate crescent, with only its right edge illuminated. The planet’s soft blue hue and scattered white cloud systems stand out against the blackness of space, while the left portion fades into night. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image, Earthrise, reveals a striking alignment of Earth and Moon, with the Moon in the right foreground and the Earth to its left. Along the lunar horizon, rugged terrain is silhouetted against the bright crescent Earth. Both bodies are oriented with their north up. This photo was rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the original for standard viewing orientation.
Earth’s Crescent from Lunar Orbit
art002e014066 (April 6, 2026) – The Artemis II crew captures an image of a crescent Earth on their journey around the Moon.
Eclipsed: A View from Orion
art002e009571 (April 6, 2026) - The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars. Credit: NASA
art002e012090 (April 6, 2026) - In this view of the Moon, the Artemis II crew captured an intricate snapshot of the rings of the Orientale basin, one of the Moon’s youngest and best-preserved large impact craters on his first shift during the lunar flyby observation period. Credit: NASA
Science Officers in Mission Control
jsc2026e020490 (April 6, 2026) - Pictured from left to right, Angela Garcia, Dr. Kelsey Young, and Dr. Trevor Graff, the first science officers of the Artemis program in the White Flight Control Room in the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Seen here about ten minutes before Earthset during Artemis II, these science officers are seen monitoring mission data in real-time from the Science console. They support flight controllers by analyzing scientific measurements and system performance. Their work helps ensure mission objectives are achieved safely and efficiently. Credit: NASA
Lunar Flyby Observations – NASA astronaut Victor Glover
art002e016204 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Glover and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
Solar Eclipse Emergence from Orion
art002e009299 (April 6, 2026) – Captured from the Orion spacecraft near the end of the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the Sun beginning to peek out from behind the Moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality. Only a portion of the Moon is visible in frame, its curved edge revealing a bright sliver of sunlight returning after nearly an hour of darkness. In final moments of the eclipse observed by the crew, the reemerging light creates a sharp contrast against the Moon’s silhouette and reveals lunar topography not usually visible along the lunar limb. This fleeting phase captures the dynamic alignment of the Sun, Moon, and spacecraft as Orion continues its journey back from the far side of the Moon.
A Setting Earth
art002e009289 (April 6, 2026) – The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side. In this image, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while on its day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater shows terraced edges and a relatively flat floor marked by central peaks — formed when the surface rebounded upward during the impact that created the crater.
A New View of the Moon
Earth sets at 5:41 p.m. CDT, April 6, 2026, over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. Orientale Basin is perched on the edge of the visible lunar surface. Hertzsprung Basin appears as two subtle concentric rings, which are interrupted by Vavilov, a younger crater superimposed over the older structure. The lines of indentations are secondary crater chains formed by ejecta from the massive impact that created Orientale. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.
A Breathtaking Earthset from Orion
art002e021278 (April 6, 2026) – Echoing the iconic Earthrise photo captured by the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968, during the lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew captured a shot of Earthset as they passed behind the Moon’s far side. It is one of many photos taken during the seven-hour lunar flyby by the Artemis II crew on the Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA
Solar Eclipse of the Heart
art002e009573 (April 6, 2026) - The Moon, seen here backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse on April 6, 2026, is photographed by one of the cameras on the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars. Credit: NASA
The Edge of Two Worlds
art002e009285 (April 6, 2026) – Our planet draws closer to passing behind the Moon in this image captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby, about six minutes before Earthset. Earth is in a crescent phase, with sunlight coming from the right. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over muted blue in the Australia and Oceania region. The lines of small indentations on the Moon’s rugged surface are secondary crater chains. These structures are formed by material ejected during a violent primary impact.
art002e009288 (April 6, 2026) – Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater has terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks—formed when the surface rebounded upward during the impact that created the crater.
Crescent Earth Over Lunar Horizon
art002e015231 (April 6, 2026) – The Artemis II crew captures a faint view of a crescent Earth above the horizon on the Moon’s far side.