Artemis 2 astronauts witness a rare solar eclipse from beyond the moon during their historic lunar flyby. (Image credit: NASA) Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Get the Space.com Newsletter Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
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An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletterNASA's Artemis 2 astronauts have witnessed one of the rarest sights in spaceflight history — a total solar eclipse from beyond the moon.
The event unfolded yesterday (April 6) as the Orion spacecraft looped around the far side of the moon. This trajectory placed the crew in the right place at the right time to see the moon completely block the sun for about 53 minutes, which is far longer than the maximum period of totality for eclipses seen from Earth.
NASA astronaut Victor Glover described the scene unfolding as the sun vanished behind the lunar disk.
"This continues to be unreal. The sun has gone behind the moon and the corona is still visible. It's bright and creates a halo almost around the entire moon," Glover said.
As darkness fell, another phenomenon quickly emerged. "When you get to the Earth side, the earthshine has already shown … almost seconds after the sun sets behind the moon, you can see earthshine," he added.
From Orion's windows, the crew was able to make out the faint glow of sunlight reflected off Earth, while stars and planets appeared in the background. The moon itself became a stark silhouette: "This black orb out in front of us," as Glover described it, edged by the glowing solar corona.
Get the Space.com NewsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsThe total solar eclipse viewed from the Orion spacecraft on the far side of the moon. (Image credit: NASA)
Though a rare sight, it's not the first time a solar eclipse has been viewed from lunar realms. The Apollo astronauts, who orbited the moon rather than flew by it (as Artemis 2 did), also saw solar eclipses, NASA's Kelsey Young, Artemis science flight operations lead, said during a press conference on Saturday (April 4).
The eclipse marks just one highlight in an already historic mission. Artemis 2 is the first crewed journey to the moon since Apollo 17 and has already set a new distance record for human spaceflight.
Following their impressive lunar flyby, the astronauts are now heading back toward Earth and are expected to splashdown on Friday (April 10) off the coast of San Diego.
Daisy DobrijevicReference EditorDaisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase!
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