Astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission have captured striking images of Earth as they continue their journey closer to the moon. They offered a rare glimpse of the planet from afar during the first crewed Moon mission in more than half a century. The images, released on Friday, were taken about a day-and-a-half into the journey.
One photograph, shot by mission commander Reid Wiseman, shows a curved slice of Earth through the Orion capsule's window. Another frame captures the entire blue planet, with the oceans topped by swirling white cloud systems and even a glowing green aurora visible from space.
The difference in the images was the result of camera settings. In the first, the astronauts kept a longer shutter speed, while the shorter shutter speed in the second highlighted the planet's nighttime glow.
“It's great to think that with the exception of our four friends, all of us are represented in this image,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, an exploration systems leader at NASA, noting that the mission is progressing smoothly.
Sharing the images, space agency NASA wrote, “Even in darkness, we glow. In this image of Earth taken by the Artemis II crew, we can see the electric lights of human activity. In the lower right, sunlight illuminates the limb of the planet.”
These two images were taken by @astro_reid only minutes apart. The stark difference is the result of camera settings. In the first, a longer shutter speed let in much more light from Earth, while the shorter shutter speed in the second emphasizes our planet's nighttime glow. pic.twitter.com/4H5gFymlcl
— NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2026
As of Friday afternoon, the crew (G Reid Wiseman, Victor J. Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen) had travelled more than 110,000 miles (180,000 kilometres) from Earth and were steadily closing in on the Moon, with roughly 150,000 miles (240,000 kilometres) remaining. They are expected to reach the lunar vicinity on Monday.
The astronauts launched aboard the Orion spacecraft, firing its main engine Thursday night to set their trajectory towards the Moon. They will hang a U-turn and then head straight back home without stopping. During the journey, Mission Control adjusted the capsule's orientation, allowing the full view of Earth, complete with northern lights to fill their windows.
“It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks,” Wiseman said during a televised interview.
The Artemis II crew will loop around the Moon before making a return journey to Earth without landing. The mission marks humanity's first return to lunar travel since Apollo 17 in 1972.
ALSO READ: NASA's Artemis II With Four Astronauts Jets Off For Historic Moon Mission | Watch Video
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