Artemis ii astronauts marvel at earth from far side of the moon

For the first time since 1972, astronauts are once again gazing at our planet from the far side of the moon. The Artemis II crew, aboard their Orion spacecraft, is savoring breathtaking views of Earth as they journey towards their historic lunar flyby.

Stunning photos capture earth's beauty from deep space

Commander Reid Wiseman and his fellow astronauts - Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - captured the awe-inspiring moment on camera, sharing photos of a full Earth suspended in the blackness of space.

One image shows the side of the planet facing the Orion capsule in darkness, while a time exposure reveals a clear view of northern Africa, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the lush green coast of Brazil on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

A poignant shot through one of the cockpit windows offers a poignant reminder of the vast distance between the astronauts and the rest of humanity.

As Orion approaches the moon's far side, the crew will set a new distance record, passing within about 4,000 miles of the lunar surface at 7:05 pm EDT on Monday. Though it may not seem like a particularly close encounter, the astronauts will bring unique tools to their observations - human eyes.