The NASA has released the first set of images of Earth taken by astronauts traveling on the Artemis II mission as they head toward the moon.
According to CNN, the photos were taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman using a tablet device with a camera, showing different views of Earth from space.
The first photo was described by NASA’s control team at Johnson Space Center as a powerful reminder that humanity shares one planet. In the image, the sun is setting behind Earth, and colorful auroras can be seen glowing around the planet, along with a bright light known as zodiacal light.
Another picture taken shortly after shows Earth shining at night. City lights can be seen across different parts of the world, while sunlight is still visible along the edge of the planet.
One of the images, taken through the window of the Orion spacecraft, shows Earth as a small “pale blue dot” from the astronauts’ point of view.
These photos match what mission specialist Christina Koch described during a live media session on the second day of the mission.
She said seeing the whole Earth from space was an unforgettable experience and made her even more excited about getting similar views of the moon soon.
Koch added that although she expected the view, nothing could prepare her for how beautiful it looked, especially seeing Earth both bright during the day and glowing softly at night.
During the same event, Wiseman explained that at one point, mission control adjusted the spacecraft, allowing the crew to see the entire Earth from top to bottom.
He said they could clearly spot continents like Africa and Europe, and even the northern lights, describing the moment as breathtaking and leaving the crew speechless.
Wiseman also joked that the spacecraft windows are already getting dirty because the astronauts keep looking outside so often, and he even asked how they should clean them.
The astronauts were so focused on taking pictures that they delayed their first meal together in space just to enjoy the view.
Jeremy Hansen said they were amazed by the sight of the dark side of Earth being lit by the moon.
He added that the view was so incredible that no one wanted to stop and eat, as they were all busy looking out the window and capturing the moment.
