Artemis II Astronauts Capture Side of the Moon That’s Rarely Seen

Matt Growcoot
A person uses medical equipment in a dimly lit setting on the left, while the right side shows a detailed, cratered surface of the Moon.
Mission specialist Christina Koch is illuminated by her camera screen as she takes photos of the lunar surface, right.

The NASA Artemis II astronauts recorded history yesterday by traveling further from Earth than humans before them — 248,655 miles (400,000 kilometers) — and on their epic journey, the crew has been capturing awe-inspiring photos of rarely seen celestial sights.

NASA has today released a treasure trove of images taken by the Artemis II crew yesterday (April 6) as they orbited the Moon in their Orion spacecraft. It includes stunning photos of an “Earthset”, and the Moon eclipsing the Sun.

Close-up image of the Moon’s surface, showing numerous craters and rugged terrain in sharp detail, with the left side fading into darkness.
During their lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew captured this image at 3:41 p.m. EDT, showing the rings of the Orientale basin, one of the Moon’s youngest and best-preserved large impact craters. These concentric rings offer scientists a rare window into how massive impacts shape planetary surfaces, helping refine models of crater formation and the Moon’s geologic history. At the 10 o’clock position of the Orientale basin, the two smaller craters – which the Artemis II crew has suggested be named Integrity and Carroll – are visible. These features highlight how crew observations can directly support surface feature identification and real-time science.
A detailed, high-resolution image of the Moon’s surface showing numerous craters of various sizes, with shadows accentuating their depth and rugged texture. The left side is partially in darkness.
A close-up view taken by the Artemis II crew of Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin. The right portion of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to more rugged terrain around the rim. Vavilov and other craters and their ejecta are accentuated by long shadows at the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. The image was captured with a handheld camera at a focal length of 400mm, as the crew flew around the far side of the Moon.
View of the Moon’s cratered surface in the foreground with planet Earth partially visible rising over the lunar horizon against the blackness of space.
“Earthset.”
An astronaut wearing a headset and dark clothing operates controls inside a space capsule, closely observing displays and instruments, with illuminated screens and equipment surrounding him.
CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen is seen taking images through the Orion spacecraft window early in the Artemis II lunar flyby.

Since they were on the far side of the Moon, the crew also took close-up and middle-distance photos of an area humanity doesn’t usually get to see. As NASA notes, the near side of the Moon is identifiable by the dark splotches that cover its surface, created early in the Moon’s history when it was volcanically active.

“The large crater west of the lava flows is Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides,” NASA explains. “The Artemis II crew are the first people to ever see the full Orientale Basin. Everything to the left of the crater is the far side, the hemisphere we don’t get to see from Earth because the Moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it orbits round us.”

A detailed close-up image of the moon against a black sky, showing its craters and surface textures with one side slightly shadowed.
In this fully illuminated view of the Moon, the near side (the hemisphere we see from Earth), is visible on the right. It is identifiable by the dark splotches that cover its surface. These are ancient lava flows from a time early in the Moon’s history when it was volcanically active. The large crater west of the lava flows is Orientale basin, a nearly 600-mile-wide crater that straddles the Moon’s near and far sides. Orientale’s left half is not visible from Earth, but in this image we have a full view of the crater. Everything to the left of the crater is the far side, the hemisphere we don’t get to see from Earth because the Moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it orbits round us. | NASA
A detailed close-up of the moon’s surface shows craters and textured gray terrain on the left, with the right side fading into black space.
Just over half of the Moon fills the left half of the image. The near side, characterized by the dark patches of ancient lava, is visible on the top third of the lunar disk. Orientale basin, a round crater in the center with a black patch of ancient lava in the center, is wrapped in rings of mountains. The round black spot northeast of Orientale is Grimaldi crater, and Aristarchus crater is the bright white dot in the midst of a dark grey lava flow at the top of the image.
A detailed close-up of the moon’s surface shows numerous craters and rugged terrain. The lighting creates strong shadows, highlighting the texture and depth of the lunar landscape against a black background.
The Artemis II crew captures a portion of the Moon coming into view along the terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – where low-angle sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface. This grazing light accentuates the Moon’s rugged topography, revealing craters, ridges, and basin structures in striking detail. Features along the terminator such as Jule Crater, Birkhoff Crater, Stebbins Crater, and surrounding highlands stand out. From this perspective, the interplay of light and shadow highlights the complexity of the lunar surface in ways not visible under full illumination. The image was captured about three hours into the crew’s lunar observation period, as they flew around the far side of the Moon on the sixth day of the mission.
Two people work in a dimly lit, cramped space surrounded by wires and equipment, each using a flashlight to illuminate their tasks, creating a focused and shadowy atmosphere.
Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist Christina Koch gather images and observations of the lunar surface to share with the world during the lunar flyby on the sixth day of the mission. The crew spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the windows of the Orion spacecraft as they flew around the far side of the Moon. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
A view of the Moon’s cratered surface dominates the foreground, with the distant Earth partially visible, rising over the Moon’s horizon against the darkness of space.
Earth sets at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, 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. Orientale basin is perched on the edge of the visible lunar surface. Hertzsprung Basin appears as two subtle concentric rings, which are interrupted by Vavilov, a younger crater superimposed over the older structure. The lines of indentations are secondary crater chains formed by ejecta from the massive impact that created Orientale. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.
A close-up view of the moon's heavily cratered surface with deep shadows, showing rugged terrain and numerous impact craters against the darkness of space.
Captured by the Artemis II crew, the heavily cratered terrain of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin is seen with the shadowed terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – at the top of the image. The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest and oldest basin on the Moon, providing a glimpse into an ancient geologic history built up over billions of years.

The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission are now headed back toward Earth. They’re scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

Image credits: NASA

,
, , , ,
PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; if you buy something through such a link, PetaPixel may earn a commission.
Related Articles
A person looks out of a spacecraft window at Earth, while on the right, a window shows the moon and part of the spacecraft's interior, with cables and instruments visible. Artemis II is Capturing Spell-Binding Photos of the Moon and Earth
A view of Earth rising above the Moon’s cratered surface, showing a curved horizon and Earth's blue and white colors against the blackness of space. Artemis II Astronauts Capture Stunning Photo of Earth Setting Behind the Moon
A Nikon camera is superimposed over a photo of a rocket launching into the sky, with bright flames and smoke billowing from the rocket at liftoff. A Nikon Z9 Made it Aboard the Artemis II Moon Mission at the Last Minute
A split image: on the left, a crescent moon with a smaller celestial body above it; on the right, two people with cameras and moon-themed shirts photographing something off-frame indoors. What Kind of Photos Will the Artemis II Astronauts Take? And Who Will Take Them?
Discussion