Artemis II approaches moon: Earthset, eclipse and Earthrise

During Artemis II's close lunar flyby the crew will witness an Earthset, a drawn-out solar eclipse, and an Earthrise while losing radio contact with Earth for roughly 40 minutes.

Artemis II is conducting a close flyby of the moon near the midpoint of its 10-day mission. From the Orion spacecraft Integrity, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen will see Earth slide behind the lunar rim, experience a solar eclipse from near the moon, and then watch an Earthrise. The moon will block the line of sight to Earth and cause a radio blackout lasting about 40 minutes. During that period the crew will continue observations and use onboard cameras and instruments to record the sequence. What is known: - The crew will observe an Earthset in which the entire planet appears to glide down and disappear behind the cratered lunar rim. - Radio contact with mission control is expected to drop for roughly 40 minutes while the spacecraft is on the lunar far side. - From near the moon the geometry of the solar eclipse will differ from Earth-based eclipses; the sun will appear smaller as it is concealed by the lunar surface. - The crew will use protective filters similar to the eclipse glasses used during the April 2024 total solar eclipse to view the sun safely before and after the eclipse. - With direct sunlight blocked, astronauts will have an extended twilight to image and study subtle lunar surface features, and Jacob Bleacher noted the moon will appear about the size of "holding a basketball at arm's reach." Summary: The sequence is the climax of the flyby and provides an extended window for images and measurements while the crew is temporarily out of contact. If communications return as planned, ground teams will begin sorting data for early analysis, and the spacecraft will begin its return toward a splashdown off the California coast on April 10.