Arabic version: ناسا تشارك صور مذهلة من رحلة أرتيميس II حول القمر

NASA has released the first photographs taken by the Artemis II astronauts during their fly-by of the Moon. The first image shows an ‘Earthset’ as the astronauts glimpsed our home planet peeking out beyond a cratered lunar landscape. The second photograph shows the spectacular solar eclipse to which the astronauts were treated as the Moon blocked out the Sun.

According to BBC News, the Earthset photo carried echoes of the famous Earthrise photograph taken during Apollo 8 in 1968, highlighting Earth against the vastness of space. The astronauts took these photos during a six-hour flyby, including a period of radio silence when their capsule was behind the Moon.

NASA noted that the Earthrise photograph was captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 18:41 Eastern Daylight Time on Monday. The image reveals the dark portion of Earth experiencing nighttime, with swirling clouds visible over the Australia and Oceania region. The foreground features Ohm crater, characterized by its terraced edges and central peaks formed during its creation.

The solar eclipse witnessed by the astronauts was a highlight of the mission. They enjoyed nearly 54 minutes of totality due to Orion’s proximity to the Moon. Victor Glover described the eclipse as ‘sci-fi’ and ‘unreal,’ expressing awe at the view of the Sun’s corona visible around the Moon’s edge.

While satellite photographs of the Moon’s far side have been taken since the last human landing in 1972, NASA emphasized the significance of the astronauts experiencing it firsthand. The crew recorded audio descriptions of their observations, which NASA scientists will analyze for new insights.