Artemis II Crew Captures Moonlit Full-Disk Earth at ISO 51,200 From Orion
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · Jun 4
Artemis II Crew Captures Moonlit Full-Disk Earth at ISO 51,200 From Orion
3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · Jun 4
Summary
A newly released Artemis II image shows Earth’s full disk lit by moonlight after Orion completed its translunar injection burn and headed toward the Moon.
From Orion’s perspective, Earth eclipses the Sun in the shot, while green auroras ring the poles, zodiacal light glows at lower right, and Venus appears as a bright point.
ISO 51,200 camera settings let the crew record low-light surface detail, including city lights across Spain, Portugal, northern and sub-Saharan Africa, and Brazil.
NASA said the photo is distinctive because it combines a human-captured full-disk nighttime Earth view with multiple solar-system features in a single frame.
Scientists said the image is not just visually striking but also useful for studying artificial light at night, Earth’s atmosphere, and how the planet interacts with the solar wind.
How does this rare, moonlit view of Earth challenge what our satellites have already shown us about our planet?
This image shows human lights from space, but what does the planet's changing glow reveal about our society's health?
As Mars dust may be illuminating our sky, what other deep-space mysteries can human explorers help us solve?
Artemis II 2026: The First Moonlit Portrait of Earth and Its Role in Shaping Future Lunar and Mars Missions
Overview
On April 2, 2026, the Artemis II mission launched with a four-person crew, marking a major milestone in space exploration. During their 10-day journey, the astronauts captured a stunning image of Earth illuminated only by moonlight, revealing our planet as a dynamic body in the solar system. This photograph, admired by NASA scientist Cindy Evans, offered new insights into Earth's place in the cosmos. The mission relied on proven technology, using Nikon D5 cameras to overcome deep space photography challenges and document this historic achievement, highlighting both technical skill and scientific discovery.