NASA’s Artemis II mission will conclude its 10-day journey around the Moon on April 10, 2026, when the crew splashes down off the California coast. While additional imagery will continue to be processed after their return, the astronauts have already delivered a remarkable collection of photos. Among them is a shot of Earthset, echoing the iconic Earthrise photos taken by Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968.
During an Earthset, the planet appears to sink below the lunar horizon. In this scene, a partially lit crescent Earth drops behind the Moon as seen by crew on the Orion spacecraft. The Earth’s sunlit side shows white clouds and blue water over the Oceania region, while the dark areas are experiencing nighttime. The image also shows incredible detail of the Moon’s surface and its overlapping craters and basins.
The image was taken at 6:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 6, 2026, as the Artemis II astronauts passed behind the Moon’s far side. It is one of many photos taken during the seven-hour flyby, including images of a total solar eclipse, the light from several planetary neighbors, and the long shadows cast along the terminator line where lunar day meets night.
More images from the historic flyby can be viewed in the Artemis II lunar flyby gallery, and other mission photos and resources are available on the mission’s multimedia page. Past views of Earth from afar can be found in this collection from NASA Earth Observatory.
Image by NASA. Text by Kathryn Hansen, adapted from NASA resources.
References & Resources
- NASA (2026, April 7) Artemis II Lunar Flyby. Accessed April 9, 2026.
- NASA (2026, April 4) NASA Answers Your Most Pressing Artemis II Questions. Accessed April 9, 2026.
- NASA (2026, April) Artemis II Multimedia. Accessed April 9, 2026.
- NASA (2026) Artemis II. Accessed April 9, 2026.
