NASA releases 8K photos of the Moon during Artemis II's flyby.
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A NASAThe American space agency released today (07) the first images recorded by astronauts of Artemis II mission, during its passage by the Moon. The event was broadcast live on April 6th. See below:
TIP: At the end of this post you will find high-resolution versions to download and use as wallpaper for your computer or smartphone.
The Border of Two Worlds: Our planet approaches passing behind the Moon in this image captured by the crew of... Artemis II During its lunar flyby, about six minutes before sunset, Earth is in its waxing phase, with sunlight coming from the right. The dark side of Earth is in nighttime. On the day side of Earth, swirling clouds are visible over a soft blue in the region of Australia and Oceania. The lines of small depressions on the rugged surface of the Moon are chains of secondary craters. These structures are formed by material ejected during a violent primary impact.
Final preparations for the low-level flyover: Artemis II pilot Victor Glover, Commander Reid Wiseman, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen prepare for their journey around the far side of the Moon, setting up their camera equipment shortly before beginning their lunar flyby observations.
Sunset on Earth: Captured through the window of the Orion spacecraft at 6:41 p.m. EDT (18:41 p.m. Brasília time) on April 19, 2026, during the Artemis II mission crew's flyby of the Moon. A bluish, faint Earth, with bright white clouds, sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark side of Earth is experiencing night. On the sunlit side of the planet, swirling clouds are visible over the region of Australia and Oceania. In the foreground, the Ohm crater features terraced rims and a flat bottom interrupted by central peaks. The central peaks form in complex craters when the lunar surface, liquefied by the impact, is ejected upward during crater formation.
Lunar Selfie: In the middle of the lunar observation period, the crew members of Artemis II – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen - They pause to turn the camera around and take a selfie inside the Orion spacecraft.
Guardian of the Night Sky: Slightly more than half of the Moon fills the left half of the image. The visible side, characterized by dark patches of ancient lava, is visible in the upper third of the lunar disk. The Orientale basin, a circular crater with a black patch of ancient lava at its center, is surrounded by rings of mountains. The circular black patch northeast of Orientale is the Grimaldi crater, and the Aristarchus crater is the bright white spot amidst a dark gray lava flow at the top of the image.
A Moment with the Moon: In this image of the Moon, captured by the Artemis II crew at 14:19 PM EDT (Brasilia time), shortly before the start of the observation period, the Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a dark patch of ancient lava that pierced the lunar crust in an eruption that occurred billions of years ago. This impact crater, 965 kilometers in diameter, is located at the transition between the near and far sides of the Moon and can be partially observed from Earth. The small, bright crater to its left is Byrgius, which has a radius of 400 kilometers extending from its basin.
Reid Wiseman: Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman looks out the window of the Orion spacecraft at the start of his first lunar observation period of the day. Throughout the sixth day of the mission, Wiseman and his colleagues took turns at the windows, capturing images and videos of the Moon, as well as recording observations. The astronauts are part of the science team, and the data collected will shape the future of lunar science.
Shadows in the Vavilov Crater: a close-up view, captured by the crew of Artemis II, The image shows the Vavilov crater, on the edge of the older and larger Hertzsprung Basin. The right side of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to the more rugged terrain around the rim. Vavilov and other craters, as well as their ejecta, are accentuated by the long shadows at the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. The image was captured with a handheld camera with a 400 mm focal length while the crew was flying over the far side of the Moon.
Total solar eclipse Artemis II, partial view: A close-up view from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II crew's lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, captures a total solar eclipse, with only part of the Moon visible in the image as it completely obscures the Sun. Although the entire lunar disk extends beyond the image, the faint solar corona remains visible as a soft halo of light around the Moon's edge. From this vantage point in deep space, the Moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of totality, much longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. This cropped perspective emphasizes the scale of the alignment and reveals subtle structures in the corona during the rare and prolonged eclipse observed by the crew. The intense silvery glow on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. The rounded, dark gray formation visible along the lunar horizon between the 9 and 10 o'clock positions is Mare Crisium, a formation visible from Earth. We see faint lunar details because light reflected from Earth provides a source of illumination.
A new perspective on the Moon: The Earth sets at 6:41 p.m. EDT (18:41 p.m. Brasília time) on April 19, 2026, over the curved limb of the Moon, in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. The Orientale basin is situated on the edge of the visible lunar surface. The Hertzsprung basin appears as two subtle concentric rings, interrupted by Vavilov, a younger crater overlying the older structure. The indentation lines are chains of secondary craters formed by ejected material from the massive impact that created Orientale. The dark side of the Earth is experiencing night. On the day side of the Earth, swirling clouds are visible over the region of Australia and Oceania.
Framing the scene: Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Jeremy Hansen is seen taking photos through the window of the Orion spacecraft at the start of Artemis II's lunar flyby. Hansen and his crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows to collect scientific data and share it with the team on Earth.
Artemis II in Eclipse: Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon completely eclipsing the Sun. From the crew's perspective, the Moon appears large enough to completely block the Sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and expanding the view far beyond what is possible from Earth. The solar corona forms a bright halo around the dark lunar disk, revealing details of the Sun's outer atmosphere normally hidden by its brightness. Stars are also visible, usually too faint to see when photographing the Moon, but with the Moon in darkness, the stars are easily observed. This unique viewpoint provides both a stunning image and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document and describe the solar corona during humanity's return to deep space. The faint glow of the visible side of the Moon is visible in this image, having been illuminated by light reflected from Earth.
It's all in the details: During the lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew captured this image at 15:41 PM EDT (Brasilia time), showing the rings of the Orientale basin, one of the largest, youngest, and best-preserved impact craters on the Moon. These concentric rings offer scientists a rare opportunity to observe how massive impacts shape planetary surfaces, helping to refine models of crater formation and the geological history of the Moon. At the 10 o'clock position of the Orientale basin, the two smaller craters (which the crew of the Artemis II (It was suggested that they be called Integrity and Carroll) are visible. These features highlight how the crew's observations can directly support the identification of surface features and real-time science.
Safety first during the eclipse: The crew of Artemis II – mission specialist Christina Koch (top left), mission specialist Jeremy Hansen (bottom left), Commander Reid Wiseman (bottom right) and pilot Victor Glover (top right) – uses eclipse safety glasses, identical to those produced by NASA For the annular eclipse of 2023 and the total solar eclipse of 2024, to protect the eyes during crucial moments of the solar eclipse they witnessed as it passed by the Moon. This was the first time eclipse goggles were used on the Moon to safely observe a solar eclipse.
Solar eclipse emerging in Orion: Captured by the Orion spacecraft near the end of the Artemis II mission's lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the Sun beginning to emerge from behind the Moon as the eclipse transits out of totality. In the image, only a portion of the Moon is visible, with its curved edge revealing a bright band of sunlight returning after nearly an hour of darkness. In the final moments of the eclipse observed by the crew, the reappearing light creates a strong contrast with the Moon's silhouette and reveals lunar topography not normally visible along the lunar limb. This fleeting phase captures the dynamic alignment of the Sun, Moon, and the Orion spacecraft on its journey back from the far side of the Moon.
An Earth sunset: The lunar surface fills the frame with sharp details, as seen during the Artemis II mission's lunar flyby, while Earth, in the distance, sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT (18:41 p.m. Brasília time) on April 19, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew passed behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before reappearing on the other side. In this image, the dark portion of Earth is in nighttime, while on its daytime side, swirling clouds are visible over the region of Australia and Oceania. In the foreground, the Ohm crater displays terraced rims and a relatively flat bottom marked by central peaks—formed when the surface was uplifted during the impact that created the crater.
Ready for a close-upCaptured by the Artemis II crew, the image shows the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin, with the shaded terminator (the boundary between lunar day and night) at the top. The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest and oldest basin on the Moon, offering a glimpse into the Moon's geological history over billions of years.
Shadows on the Edge of the Lunar Day: The Artemis II crew captured a portion of the Moon emerging at the terminator (the boundary between lunar day and night), where grazing sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface. This grazing light accentuates the Moon's rugged topography, revealing craters, ridges, and bowl-shaped structures in stunning detail. Features along the terminator, such as Jule Crater, Birkhoff Crater, Stebbins Crater, and the surrounding highlands, stand out. From this perspective, the interplay of light and shadow enhances the complexity of the lunar surface in ways not visible under full illumination. The image was captured approximately three hours into the crew's lunar observation period, while they were flying over the far side of the Moon on the sixth day of the mission.
The sunset over the lunar limb: Earth appears tiny, while the Moon stands out in this photo taken by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. Captured 36 minutes before sunset, our home planet is visible in the darkness of space, beyond the illuminated edge of the Moon. Earth is in its crescent phase, with sunlight coming from the right. The lunar basin Orientale, with its dark background of cooled lava and outer rings of mountains, covers almost the lower third of the photographed lunar surface. The different colors in the basin indicate its mineral composition. The lines of small depressions above Orientale are chains of secondary craters, formed by material ejected during a violent primary impact. Both new craters for which the Artemis II crew suggested names – Integrity and Carroll – are fully visible. The edge of the visible surface of the Moon is called the “lunar limb.” Viewed from afar, it almost looks like a circular arc, except when backlit, as in other images captured by the Artemis II crew.
Take advantage of using these images as wallpaper on your computer or smartphone by downloading the high-resolution package. using this link or directly via NASA portal.
Live broadcast
Continue following the live broadcast of the mission on the official channel of NASA on Youtube:
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Text revised by Alexandre Marques in 07 / 04 / 2026.
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