{"id":583646,"date":"2026-04-03T21:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T21:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/583646\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T21:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T21:46:09","slug":"artemis-ii-astronauts-capture-earths-blue-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/583646\/","title":{"rendered":"Artemis II astronauts capture earth’s blue beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artemis II astronaut commander Reid Wiseman took a picture of the earth from the Orion capsule. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

The Artemis II astronauts have captured our blue planet’s brilliant beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NASA released the crew\u2019s first downlinked images on Friday, a day and a half into the first astronaut moonshot in more than half a century.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first photo taken by commander Reid Wiseman shows a curved slice of earth in one of the capsule’s windows.<\/p>\n

The second shows the entire globe with the oceans topped by swirling white tendrils of clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A green aurora even glows, according to NASA.<\/p>\n

\"Earth\"
\n NASA says an image of the earth taken from the Orion spacecraft’s window shows a green aurora. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

Wiseman and his crew were 145,000km from earth and quickly gaining on the moon with another 270,000km to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They should reach their destination on Monday.<\/p>\n

In this image, also taken from the Orion capsule, we see the divide between night and day, known as the terminator, cutting across Earth. Whether awake or dreaming, we’re all here on this planet together. pic.twitter.com\/NhtD2DjBYQ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The crew of four will swing around the moon in their Orion capsule, hang a U-turn and then head straight back home without stopping.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They fired Orion’s main engine on Thursday night, US time, that set them on their course.<\/p>\n

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