NASA has released a new photo of Earth setting below the moon's horizon. This "Earthset" image was taken by the Artemis II crew. It comes more than 57 years after the famous "Earthrise" photo from Apollo 8.
The Artemis II crew took the picture from their Orion capsule. They were on a record-setting flyby of the moon. The image intentionally mirrors the "Earthrise" photo taken by astronaut Bill Anders in December 1968. That was during the first mission to send humans around the moon.
NASA shared the new "Earthset" image on X, and so did the White House. The White House noted, "Humanity, from the other side." They added it was the "First photo from the far side of the Moon."
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Start Your News DetoxThe Artemis II Mission
The Artemis II crew includes US astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is also part of the team. They are on a journey around the moon. This mission is part of a larger program to prepare for a moon landing in 2028.
During their trip, the crew has described the moon's surface in detail. They also saw a solar eclipse when the moon passed in front of the sun. The White House shared a NASA image of the eclipse, calling it "a view few in human history have ever witnessed."
In 1968, Apollo 8 orbited the moon ten times without landing. During one orbit, Bill Anders took the "Earthrise" photo. It showed Earth's blue disc against the blackness of space, framed by the moon's grey horizon. This photo is considered one of the most iconic ever taken. Life magazine included it in its 2003 book, "100 Photographs That Changed the World."
