Humanity's farthest-traveling explorers captured historic images of Earth from the far side of the moon Monday evening.
PHOTOS: Artemis II astronauts capture Earth's brilliant beauty
Just before the Artemis II astronauts entered a planned 40-minute communications blackout as they flew behind the moon, they snapped images of "Earthset," the setting of Earth behind the lunar surface. The image shows the planet's day side, with clouds hovering over Australia, while a darkened portion of the planet experiences nighttime.
The image evoked memories of "Earthrise," an image taken by astronaut William Anders during the Apollo 8 mission in late December 1968.
Earth sets at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, over the Moon's curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon. Photo by NASA
The photo of Earth's setting was taken at 6:41 p.m. EDT on Monday, according to NASA. Around 7 p.m. EDT, Orion made its closest approach to the moon, reaching approximately 4,067 miles above the lunar surface. The crew set a new record two minutes later, reaching the mission's maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth. That's a new record for human travel in space.
WATCH: Artemis II astronauts make historic moon flyby, setting space distance record
The Sun beginning to peek out from behind the Moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality. Photo by NASA
The crew also witnessed a solar eclipse that lasted nearly an hour as the Orion spacecraft, moon and sun lined up to create the spectacle. The corona formed a halo of sorts around the moon during the nearly 54 minutes of totality that the astronauts watched using eclipse glasses.
Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. Photo by NASA
"It is so great to hear from Earth again," Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch radioed back as the communications blackout ended.
The Artemis II crew – Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – uses eclipse viewers to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby. This was the first use of eclipse glasses at the Moon to safely view a solar eclipse. Photo by NASA
The Artemis II crew captures a portion of the Moon coming into view along the terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – where low-angle sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface. Features include Jule Crater, Birkhoff Crater and Stebbins Crater. Photo by NASA
After the crew's seven-hour lunar flyby finished, the crew received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump. "I'll ask for your autograph, because I don't really ask for autographs much," Trump said. "But you deserve that."