Artemis II crew witnesses Earthset, solar eclipse during lunar flyby

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On April 6, the Artemis II crew completed the first lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972, passing only about 4,067 miles above the lunar surface.

During the historic seven-hour lunar flyby of the far side of the moon, the crew witnessed an ‘Earthset’ as the Orion spacecraft traveled behind the moon and an ‘Earthrise’ as the spacecraft reappeared from the opposite edge of the moon.

The crew also witnessed a nearly hour-long total solar eclipse as the spacecraft, the moon and the sun aligned.

During the eclipse, the crew analyzed the solar corona—the sun’s outermost atmosphere—visible around the moon’s edge and witnessed several meteoroid impact flashes on the lunar surface.

The Artemis II crew captured an Earthset during a lunar flyby through the Orion spacecraft window on April 6, 2026, at 641 p.m. EDT — The Artemis II crew captured an Earthset during a lunar flyby through the Orion spacecraft window on April 6, 2026, at 6:41 p.m. EDT. (Image credit: NASA)

The Artemis II crew captured a total solar eclipse during a lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. (Image credit: NASA)

The Artemis II crew captured a close-up view of the total solar eclipse, along with the brightest planet, Venus, during a lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. From Earth, Venus is currently visible above the western horizon shortly after sunset. (Image credit: NASA)

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