News
Astronaut Reid Wiseman documented, for the first time, the phenomenon of Earth setting behind the Moon in a short video filmed on an iPhone during the Artemis II mission, capturing a rare moment as Earth gradually disappears beyond the lunar horizon.
The 53-second clip spread rapidly, surpassing 11 million views in less than a day, offering audiences a striking new perspective on Earth’s place in space.
Details
The video begins with a small portion of Earth visible in its blue and white colors, which gradually turns into a bright white sphere as the blue fades, before fully disappearing behind the Moon in about 20 seconds.
The scene highlights a sharp visual contrast between the darkness of deep space, Earth’s vivid colors, and the Moon’s rough gray surface, emphasizing how small Earth appears within the cosmic landscape.
Wiseman explained that the footage was captured through the spacecraft’s docking window using 8x optical zoom, noting that the view closely matched what the human eye could perceive.
These images serve as a modern visual continuation of the famous Earthrise photo taken by Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968, but from the reverse perspective.
What’s Next?
More footage from the Artemis II mission is expected, as public interest grows in live space visuals and their impact on how we perceive Earth’s position in the universe.
