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NASA Releases New Photos from Artemis II Mission Capturing Earth, Moon and Eclipse
NASA has released additional photographs from the Artemis II mission, depicting Earth and the Moon from space during the crew's journey and return. The images, taken in early April 2026, include views of the Earth passing behind the Moon and the Moon eclipsing the Sun. All 12,217 images are available on NASA's Gateway to Astronaut Photography website.
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New photographs from NASA's Artemis II mission, showing Earth and the Moon from space, were released this week. The images capture the spacecraft's journey to the Moon and its return to Earth, highlighting celestial alignments and astronaut perspectives. NASA made the photos public, with a selection published in The Atlantic on or around May 2026.
A camera attached to the Artemis II spacecraft took a striking view of Earth passing behind the Moon on April 6, 2026, as the vehicle swung around the lunar far side. In the frame, partly visible at the left, the spacecraft itself appears alongside the cosmic scene. This moment marked the crew's position during the outbound leg of their voyage.
Earlier, on April 2, 2026, as the Artemis II crew began their journey to the Moon, they photographed a half-illuminated Earth from space. Cloud formations stood out along Earth's terminator, the boundary between day and night. The images reveal the planet's swirling atmosphere in sharp detail against the void.
Through a window of NASA's Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, the crew captured views of Earth during the mission. One photograph shows the planet framed by the window's edge, emphasizing the intimacy of observation from orbit. The Earth and Moon also appear together through a spacecraft window in another shot, blending the two bodies in a single vista.
As Artemis II passed around the far side of the Moon, another image recorded Earth in the distance. An astronaut's hand is reflected in the window while taking a photograph of Earth starting to pass behind the Moon, adding a human touch to the automated captures. The Earth then set along the Moon's horizon, its blue marble dipping below the cratered edge.
