The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse,
is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on Monday, April 6, 2026, during the
Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is
reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter
than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom
right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the
image is Mars.
Credit: NASA
Editor’s note: Some photo captions were
updated on April 8, 2026, to reflect ongoing scientific observations and
discussion about the images.
The first flyby images of the Moon
captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight
reveal some regions no human has seen, including a rare in-space solar eclipse.
Released Tuesday, astronauts captured the images April 6 during the mission’s
seven-hour flyby of the lunar far side, showing humanity’s return to the Moon’s
vicinity and opening a trove of scientific data.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor
Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy
Hansen, have used a fleet of cameras to take thousands of photos. The agency
released several images, with more expected in the coming days as the crew
members are more than halfway through their journey and now headed home toward
Earth.
“Our four Artemis II astronauts — Reid,
Victor, Christina, and Jeremy — took humanity on an incredible journey around
the Moon and brought back images so exquisite and brimming with science, they
will inspire generations to come,” said Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator,
Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington.
During the lunar flyby, the crew
documented impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface fractures that will
help scientists study the Moon’s geologic evolution. They monitored color,
brightness, and texture differences across the terrain, observed an earthset
and earthrise, and captured solar‑eclipse views of the Sun’s corona. The crew
also reported six meteoroid impact flashes on the darkened lunar surface.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Scientists already are analyzing the downlinked images, audio, and data to
refine the timing and locations of these events and compare them with
observations from amateur astronomers. The new imagery also will help NASA
better understand the Moon’s geology and inform future exploration and science
missions that will lay the foundation for an enduring presence on the Moon ahead of future astronaut missions
to Mars.
“It was remarkable listening to the
crew describe the stunning views during the flyby,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s
chief exploration scientist at the agency’s headquarters. “At first, their
descriptions didn’t quite match what we were seeing on our screens. Now that
higher resolution images are coming down, we can finally experience the moments
they were trying to share and truly appreciate the scientific return provided
by these images and our other research on this mission.”
Official NASA imagery for viewing
and download is available on the agency website and digital platforms,
including:
Media should follow NASA’s media usage guidelines for all publication and distribution of these
images.
NASA is targeting 8:07 p.m. EDT
(5:07 p.m. PDT) Friday, April 10, for the return of Artemis II off the coast of
San Diego. NASA+ live return coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. and will
continue until NASA and Department of War personnel safely assist the crew out
of Orion and transport them to the USS John P. Murtha.
Briefings, events, and 24/7 mission
coverage are streaming on NASA’s YouTube channel and events will each have their own stream closer to their
start time. Learn how to watch NASA
content through
a variety of online platforms, including social media.
As part of Golden Age of innovation
and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult
missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic
benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
To learn more about the Artemis program, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
Cheryl
Warner / Katherine Rohloff
Headquarters, Washington
Source: NASA’s Artemis II Crew Beams Official Moon Flyby Photos to Earth - NASA
No comments:
Post a Comment