NASA released a series of breathtaking images captured during the historic Artemis II lunar flyby, which saw astronauts reach a record-breaking distance from Earth and witness sights previously unseen by humans.

The mission came within just 4,067 miles of the moon, and the crew aboard the Orion capsule traveled an estimated 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13’s record for the farthest humans have ventured into space.

During the seven-hour flyby, the astronauts observed the lunar surface in detail, with roughly 21% of the moon’s far side illuminated by the sun. Across two shifts spanning about five hours, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen snapped roughly 10,000 photos, according to NASA’s live broadcast.

Communication was briefly lost for around 40 minutes as Orion passed behind the moon. During this period, the crew observed “Earthset,” watching Earth appear to sink behind the lunar horizon, reminiscent of the views Apollo astronauts experienced in 1968.

The photographs revealed craters scattered across the moon’s surface, and the Earth visible from the capsule displayed clouds over Australia and Oceania while the opposite side remained in darkness.

NASA’s science team guided the astronauts to focus on notable lunar features, including ancient lava flows and impact craters. One Earthset image captured Hertzsprung Basin, visible as two concentric rings. The crew also spotted the Orientale Basin, one of the youngest large impact craters on the moon, which had never before been observed by humans.

Near Orientale, two small craters drew special attention. The crew proposed naming one “Integrity” after their Orion spacecraft, and the other “Carroll” in honor of Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll Taylor Wiseman, a nurse who died in 2020. After the naming, the astronauts embraced and held a moment of silence in NASA Mission Control, shedding tears over the tribute.

Later, the crew witnessed a remarkable solar eclipse. Through Orion’s windows, the moon appeared far larger than it does from Earth, blocking the sun and revealing parts of the solar corona. The astronauts described the visible streamers in the corona as “baby hairs.”

The period of totality—the sun fully obscured by the moon—lasted nearly an hour for the crew, far longer than the few minutes experienced during eclipses on Earth. During this event, astronauts also observed planets including Mars, Venus, and Saturn, as well as stars and Earthshine, the glow from our planet reflected onto the moon.

Among the photos taken was a striking image of the Milky Way, showing the galaxy’s spiral structure. Earth resides within one of its two major arms, roughly halfway from the galaxy’s center.

Following the flyby, Commander Wiseman expressed appreciation for NASA’s science team: “We were well prepared, and we appreciate all of you, and this is what we do best when we all come together and work as a team. So y’all knocked it out of the park. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.”

Science officer Dr. Kelsey Young echoed the sentiment, highlighting the mission’s contributions: “I can’t say enough how much science we’ve already learned and how much inspiration you’ve provided to our entire team, the lunar science community and the entire world with what you were able to bring today. You really brought the moon closer for us today. And we cannot say thank you enough.”

The images and data collected during Artemis II are expected to deepen scientific understanding of the moon and its origins, while paving the way for future lunar missions.