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IN PHOTOS: As they head home, Artemis II crew shares jaw-dropping views of the Moon and beyond

Updated On: 10 April, 2026 05:07 PM IST | Divya Nair

With just hours left before splashdown, the Artemis II crew aboard the Orion spacecraft has shared stunning visuals of the Moon and deep space. PICS/NASA    

The Artemis II crew captures a faint view of a crescent Earth above the horizon on the Moon’s far side. PIC/NASA

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The Artemis II crew captures a faint view of a crescent Earth above the horizon on the Moon’s far side. PIC/NASA
The Artemis astronauts entered the final phase of their run-up to a lunar loop on Monday, a tipping point of sorts that means the Moon’s gravity is now having a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's

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The Artemis astronauts entered the final phase of their run-up to a lunar loop on Monday, a tipping point of sorts that means the Moon’s gravity is now having a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's

The Orion spacecraft silhouetted against the Sun with the Moon in the background, highlighting the Orientale Basin — a 600-mile-wide impact crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides. This is among the clearest views of the basin ever captured by human eyes. Artemis II

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The Orion spacecraft silhouetted against the Sun with the Moon in the background, highlighting the Orientale Basin — a 600-mile-wide impact crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides. This is among the clearest views of the basin ever captured by human eyes. Artemis II

Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6.41 pm EDT on Monday during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is in nighttime, while swirling cloud systems are visible over the Australia and Oceania region on the sunlit side

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Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6.41 pm EDT on Monday during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is in nighttime, while swirling cloud systems are visible over the Australia and Oceania region on the sunlit side

Artemis II crew members Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover wear eclipse glasses to safely view a solar eclipse while flying around the Moon — a historic first

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Artemis II crew members Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover wear eclipse glasses to safely view a solar eclipse while flying around the Moon — a historic first

Earth sets at 6.41 pm EDT on Monday over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. 

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Earth sets at 6.41 pm EDT on Monday over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. 

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