
NASA has shared the first breathtaking views of Earth taken from the Artemis II mission as the crew continues its journey toward the moon.
The photos reveal Earth behind the Orion spacecraft, our home planet aglow with aurora.
One photo of Earth, taken Thursday by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion window, shows the planet backlit, with auroras visible at the top right and bottom left, Lakiesha Hawkins, deputy director for NASA’s Artemis program, said Friday during a news conference.
A zodiacal light is also visible at the bottom right as the Earth eclipses the sun, she said.
Another photo of Earth, also taken by Wiseman, shows a terminator line, meaning the line separating daylight and nighttime on the planet.
“What an amazing shot that he shared with us here,” she said.
The photos were taken after completing the translunar injection burn Thursday.
Hawkins said Friday, the third day of the Artemis II mission, that so far systems are normal and “the crew is in great spirit.”
The four crew members — NASA astronauts Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — launched Wednesday on the 10-day mission.
As of Friday, the crew is more than 100,000 miles from Earth, with about 150,000 miles to go to the moon.
The mission does not include a lunar landing, but is designed as a step toward a landing in 2028.
The next major milestone for the space pioneers will be Monday, when the crew is expected to fly around the moon.
That flyby could mark the farthest venture from Earth made by humans, surpassing the distance record of 248,655 miles set by the Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Kremlin: Russian troops conquer Pokrovsk after year of intense combat - 2
Vote In favor of Your Favored Web-based Book Retailor - 3
Figure out How to Stay away from Normal Handshaking Missteps - 4
'Outrageous and illegal' : UNRWA slams Israel for cutting off its water, comms and electric in Gaza - 5
NATO official says members often aren't buying weapons together, and it's a mistake
From Overpowered to Coordinated: Individual Accounts of Cleaning up
The Golden Globes gift bag has nearly $1 million worth of swag for some winners and presenters. What's in it?
Geminid meteors streak under green sky | Space photo of the day for Dec. 19, 2025
Mysterious bright blue cosmic blasts triggered by black holes shredding stars, scientists say. 'It's definitely not just an exploding star.'
Child influencers helped power a booming industry. It's time for a reckoning.
Nikki Glaser has been testing out Golden Globes jokes. There's one nobody wants to hear
Step by step instructions to Pick an Incineration Urn: Variables to Consider
CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing
Chinese construction workers in Israel: 'I’d rather be bombed than live in poverty'













