NASA's Artemis II Captures Stunning Earthset From the Moon

More than half a century after the legendary "Earthrise" photo captured Earth from the moon, NASA's Artemis II crew has given us a breathtaking new perspective: "Earthset."

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen snapped the image on April 6, 2026, from their Orion spacecraft. The photo shows our blue planet slipping below the lunar horizon, a view from the far side of the moon that few humans have ever witnessed.

The crew consciously echoed the famous December 1968 moment when Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders captured "Earthrise" during the first mission carrying humans around the moon. That photograph became one of Life magazine's "100 Photographs That Changed the World."

During their record-setting flyby, the four-member crew described the moon's craters and contours in vivid detail. They also witnessed something extraordinary: a solar eclipse as the moon passed directly in front of the sun, creating what the White House called "a view few in human history have ever witnessed."

This mission marks a major milestone in NASA's broader Artemis program. The journey around Earth's natural satellite is preparing the way for astronauts to land on the moon again in 2028, continuing humanity's exploration beyond our home planet.

Why This Inspires

The Artemis II mission represents the first time humans have ventured this far from Earth in over 50 years. What makes this moment even more special is the crew's diversity, including the first woman and first person of color on a lunar mission, showing how far we've come since 1968.

These images remind us that we share one fragile, beautiful home floating in the vastness of space. The "Earthset" photograph captures not just a technical achievement, but a profound shift in perspective that only a handful of humans have experienced firsthand.

As the Orion spacecraft continues its journey back to Earth, the crew has already given us something priceless: a renewed sense of wonder about our place in the universe and hope for what humanity can achieve when we reach for the stars together.