NASA Astronauts Capture Historic ‘Earthset’ Image from Record Distance
NASA Astronauts Capture Historic 'Earthset' Image from Record Distance
NASA Astronauts Capture Historic ‘Earthset’ Image from Record Distance
Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft captured a historic view of Earth setting behind the Moon during their mission on April 6, 2026.
The astronauts were approximately 252,756 miles (406,770 kilometres) from Earth when they photographed the planet as it gradually disappeared behind the lunar horizon, making them the farthest humans to have travelled from Earth, surpassing the distance achieved by the crew of Apollo 13 in 1970.
The image, dubbed “Earthset,” has drawn comparisons with the iconic “Earthrise” photograph taken by William Anders during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. While the earlier image showed Earth rising above the Moon’s horizon, the new photograph captures the planet setting from the astronauts’ perspective.
The striking image offers a powerful reminder of Earth’s place in the vastness of space, with the planet appearing as a thin blue crescent disappearing behind the Moon’s grey, rugged landscape.
Captured in less than a second, the photograph is expected to become one of the defining images of modern space exploration, highlighting both humanity’s technological achievements and the fragile beauty of its home planet.
NASA Astronauts Capture Historic ‘Earthset’ Image from Record Distance
