Artemis II snaps eclipse, Earthset shots on first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo

Turns out deep space still looks better without AI helping

The Artemis II mission has produced some stunning imagery as the spacecraft loops around the Moon on its journey from Earth and back.

The cameras on the Artemis II mission have been getting a workout as the crew and imaging sensors attached to the spacecraft are snapping pictures throughout the flight. The images do not fully capture what the astronauts saw, but they are still the next best thing to being there.

One that took us aback was a shot of the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. Almost 54 minutes of totality were created, and the darkness meant that stars were readily visible, "typically too faint when imaging the Moon," according to NASA. The corona is visible as a halo around the lunar disk.

NASA noted, "This unique vantage point provides both a striking visual and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document and describe the corona during humanity’s return to deep space." It also produced some undeniably cool images.

During a broadcast from the Orion spacecraft, one astronaut noted, "It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the Moon right now," and we'd have to agree. Despite a plethora of AI-generated imagery being shared on social media, the images in NASA's gallery are quite something.

The mission marks the first time since the Apollo lunar missions that astronauts have ventured so far into deep space, breaking the record set by Apollo 13 for the farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth. Recorded messages from Apollo astronauts, including one from the commander of Apollo 13, the late Jim Lovell, have been sent to the Artemis II crew to mark the occasion.

Artemis II is due to exit the sphere of lunar influence on Tuesday. Re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is expected on April 10. Once the crew is safely back on Earth, mission control will be able to pop the champagne corks.

However, for now, the imagery and observations from Artemis II are a welcome bit of light in an otherwise unrelenting darkness. ®