The photo reflects the iconic image of Earth rising above the Moon taken by an Apollo astronaut.
Just before temporarily losing contact with Earth on April 6, the Artemis II astronauts took this stunning photo of their home planet behind the Moon.
The image is a deliberate echo of the “Earthrise” photo from 1968taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders as he became one of the first people to enter lunar orbit. This photo was spontaneous; Anders was startled by the sight of Earth appearing above the rugged moon and rushed to a window to take photos. The image became one of the most famous photos in history and is partly credited with starting the environmental movement.
In contrast, this “Earth Sunset” image was carefully planned. Earth appears as a crescent, with clouds swirling over Australia and Oceania on the sunny edge.
The surface of the Moon’s craters has a brownish tint. The astronauts talked a lot about the Moon’s unexpected colors during their seven-hour flyby. “The more I look at the moon, the more it looks browner and browner,” one noted.
About an hour after this photo was taken, the astronauts reappeared on the far side of the Moon to begin their journey home.
“At the end of the day, we will always choose Earth,” said astronaut Christina Koch. “We will always choose each other.”
Good night, Earth
Watch the Earth set on the Moon’s horizon.