
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
Accomplishing Balance between fun and serious activities: Procedures for a Better Life - 2
Colleges say foreign students feel 'unwelcome' in the U.S. amid big drop in international enrollment, new survey finds - 3
Party Urban areas of the World - 4
The most effective method to Succeed in Your Web based Advertising Degree: Procedures for Progress - 5
How to identify animal tracks, burrows and other signs of wildlife in your neighborhood
Fake new headlights rule steer Australian drivers astray
Must-Have Cooking Machine in Your Kitchen
James Webb Space Telescope finds strongest evidence yet for atmosphere around rocky exoplanet: 'It's really like a wet lava ball'
One killed, several injured in Iran missile barrage on southern, central Israel
It Shouldn’t Be Here: Rescuers Race to Save Whale Stranded in Rare Spot
Expert advice for new stargazers: How to begin your amateur astronomy journey
Astronaut on ISS captures spectacular orbital video of zodiacal light, auroras and the Pleiades
New York to require social media platforms to display mental health warnings
Triumph’s Gorgeous, Super-Affordable and Approachable New Street Motos Share a Heart But Not a Soul













