Artemis II Crew Captures Epic Images of Solar Eclipse in Space

NASA releases stunning photos from historic lunar flyby mission

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:36pm

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A bold, abstract painting in the style of Hilma af Klint, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise astronomical spirals in soft colors, representing the Artemis II crew's view of a solar eclipse over the lunar surface.The Artemis II crew's stunning images of a solar eclipse over the lunar surface offer a rare glimpse into the wonders of space exploration.Houston Today

NASA has released impressive images taken by the Artemis II crew during their historic lunar flyby mission. The four-person crew, including US astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, as well as Canadian Jeremy Hansen, captured a rare in-space solar eclipse, observed the Earth rising and setting behind the moon, and witnessed meteorites striking the lunar surface.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical step in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. The stunning images captured by the crew provide a rare glimpse of the far side of the moon and offer valuable scientific data to help advance our understanding of the lunar environment.

The details

During the Artemis II flyby, the crew used their Orion space capsule to take high-quality photographs of the moon's surface, including a rare solar eclipse event. They also observed the Earth rising and setting behind the lunar landscape, and spotted meteorites impacting the moon's rugged terrain, which has piqued the interest of scientists.

  • The Artemis II crew captured the images during their historic lunar flyby mission in April 2026.
  • The Orion space capsule made its first course correction on the return flight to Earth.

The players

Reid Wiseman

A US astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew.

Christina Koch

A US astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew.

Victor Glover

A US astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew.

NASA

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which oversees the Artemis program and the Artemis II mission.

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What they’re saying

“The first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA's Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight reveal regions no human has ever seen before – including a rare in-space solar eclipse.”

— NASA

What’s next

The Orion space capsule is scheduled to return to Earth in the coming days, where the Artemis II crew and their historic images will be celebrated. NASA will analyze the data and imagery from the mission to help inform future Artemis program activities, including the planned Artemis III mission that aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.

The takeaway

The stunning images captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby mission provide a rare and valuable glimpse into the far side of the moon, offering new scientific insights and paving the way for future human exploration of the lunar environment.