Welcome to the dark side Artemis II crew captures eclipse, Earthrise, far side of moon during lunar flyby By: Photography by NASA Posted: Last Modified:

NASA released new photos Tuesday captured by the Artemis II astronauts.

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NASA released new photos Tuesday captured by the Artemis II astronauts.

Artemis II’s lunar fly-around and intense observation period lasted seven hours.

A total solar eclipse greeted the three Americans and one Canadian as the moon temporarily blocked the sun from their perspective.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen takes images through the Orion spacecraft window early in teh Artemis II lunar flyby. (NASA)
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen takes images through the Orion spacecraft window early in teh Artemis II lunar flyby. (NASA)

Venturing as close as 4,067 miles (6,545 kilometers) to the gray dusty surface, the astronauts zipped through a list of more than two dozen photo targets, using powerful Nikon cameras as well as their iPhones to zoom in on impact craters and other intriguing lunar features.

The U.S.-Canadian crew has now begun their return to Earth. They will splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego on Friday.

With files from The Associated Press

 

 

The moon eclipses the sun as seen from the Artemis II mission lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, 2026. (NASA / The Associated Press)
The moon eclipses the sun as seen from the Artemis II mission lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, 2026. (NASA / The Associated Press)

 

 

From this deep-space vantage point, the moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of eclipse totality, far longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. The bright silver glint on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. (NASA)
From this deep-space vantage point, the moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of eclipse totality, far longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. The bright silver glint on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. (NASA)
The sun begins to peek out from behind the moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality. (NASA / The Associated Press)
The sun begins to peek out from behind the moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality. (NASA / The Associated Press)
The Artemis II crew pose with eclipse viewers. Counterclockwise from top left: Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover. (NASA / The Associated Press)
The Artemis II crew pose with eclipse viewers. Counterclockwise from top left: Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Earth next to the moon before Earthset. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Earth next to the moon before Earthset. (NASA / The Associated Press)
This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side. (NASA)
This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side. (NASA)
Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over Australia and Oceania. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over Australia and Oceania. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Another view of Earthset. (NASA)
Another view of Earthset. (NASA)
The near side of the moon (the hemisphere we see from Earth) is visible at the top half of the disk, identifiable by the dark splotches that are ancient lava flows. At the lower center is Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides. Everything below the crater is the far side, not visible from Earth. (NASA / The Associated Press)
The near side of the moon (the hemisphere we see from Earth) is visible at the top half of the disk, identifiable by the dark splotches that are ancient lava flows. At the lower center is Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides. Everything below the crater is the far side, not visible from Earth. (NASA / The Associated Press)
The Orientale basin has a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon’s crust in an eruption billions of years ago. (NASA)
The Orientale basin has a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon’s crust in an eruption billions of years ago. (NASA)
Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Part of the moon comes into view along the terminator -- the boundary between lunar day and night. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Part of the moon comes into view along the terminator -- the boundary between lunar day and night. (NASA / The Associated Press)
Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon’s far side. (NASA)
Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon’s far side. (NASA)

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In this image provided by NASA, The Artemis II crew captured this view of an Earthset on Monday, April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. (NASA via AP)
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This image from video provided by NASA shows the Artemis II crew, from left, Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch and pilot Victor Glover as they speak with NASA Mission Control in a video conference while en route to the moon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP) CORRECTION: headed to the moon, not in moon's orbit
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