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<\/p>\nFrom ancient lunar lava to personal tributes, the new images released from the Artemis II space mission capture fresh perspectives of our celestial neighbour.<\/p>\n
Yesterday (7 April), NASA released the first images of the moon captured by the Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight.<\/p>\n
The Artemis II mission took off last week (1 April) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, beginning an approximately 10-day mission for NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.<\/p>\n
Yesterday\u2019s images were taken on 6 April during the crew\u2019s seven-hour pass over the lunar far side \u2013 the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years \u2013 and provide a fresh look at Earth\u2019s closest celestial neighbour.<\/p>\n
From an eclipse to ancient lava, here is just a handful of some of the most interesting images captured by the Artemis II crew so far.<\/p>\n
Near and far
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A picture capturing two-thirds of the moon. Towards the bottom of the image, the Orientale basin can be seen. North-east of the Orientale, seen as a dark spot, is the Grimaldi crater. Image: NASA<\/p>\n
One of the crew\u2019s most striking images captures two-thirds of the moon, showcasing the \u201cintricate features of the near side\u201d, according to NASA. The 600-mile-wide impact crater, the Orientale basin, lies along the transition between the near and far sides and can be seen at the bottom of the image.<\/p>\n
The round black spot north-east of Orientale is the Grimaldi crater, known for its exceptionally \u201cdark mare lava floor and heavily degraded rim\u201d.<\/p>\n
In-space eclipse
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The moon fully eclipsing the sun, as taken by the Artemis II crew. Image: NASA<\/p>\n
One of the most unique images taken by the Artemis II crew captures the moon fully eclipsing the sun. The corona of the sun forms a glowing halo around the moon, while light reflected off Earth forms a faint, glowing outline of the near side of the moon.<\/p>\n
Nearly 54 minutes of totality \u2013 when the moon completely blocks the bright face of the sun \u2013 was observed by the crew.<\/p>\n
Stars are also visible around the spectacle, which are typically too faint to see when imaging the moon, but are readily visible with the moon in darkness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis unique vantage point provides both a striking visual and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document and describe the corona during humanity\u2019s return to deep space,\u201d according to NASA.<\/p>\n
A different perspective
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Earth in a crescent phase showing the cutoff between day and night on the planet, as seen from the Artemis II spacecraft as it conducted the lunar flyby. Image: NASA<\/p>\n
Another image captured during the lunar flyby shows Earth split between daytime and nighttime.<\/p>\n
Earth can be seen in a crescent phase, with sunlight coming from the right of the image. On the day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the lines of small indentations seen on the moon\u2019s surface to the left of the image are secondary crater chains. These structures are formed by material ejected during a violent primary impact.<\/p>\n
Ancient lava
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A close-up snapshot of the moon as the crew approached for the flyby. The Aristarchus crater is the bright white dot in the middle of a dark grey lava flow at the top of the image. Image: NASA<\/p>\n
In one close-up shot of the moon\u2019s surface, taken as the NASA Orion spacecraft approached for the lunar flyby, an interesting ancient remnant can be observed.<\/p>\n
According to NASA, dark patches visible on the top third of the lunar disc represent ancient lava.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the bright white dot in the middle of a dark grey lava flow at the top of the image is the Aristarchus crater, which measures at a depth of 2.7km \u2013 making it deeper than the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n
A personal tribute
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A picture of the Orientale basin, seen in the middle right of the image. The first crater named by the crew, called Integrity, lies just above the centre of the image. North of the Orientale at the top right corner of the image is the Glushko crater. To the north-west of that is the second crew-named crater, seen as a bright white spot, which the crew has called Carroll. Image: NASA<\/p>\n
During the mission\u2019s lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew snapped an image showing the rings of the Orientale basin, one of the moon\u2019s youngest and best-preserved large impact craters.<\/p>\n
According to NASA, these concentric rings offer scientists a rare window into how massive impacts shape planetary surfaces, \u201chelping refine models of crater formation and the moon\u2019s geologic history\u201d.<\/p>\n
At the 10 o\u2019clock position of the Orientale basin, two smaller craters are visible. The Artemis II astronauts submitted names for these two craters for approval by the International Astronomical Union: the first being Integrity, named after the crew\u2019s spacecraft; and the second being Carroll, named after mission commander Reid Wiseman\u2019s late wife.<\/p>\n