Artemis II astronauts witness solar eclipse from space. What they saw

• The Artemis II astronauts witnessed a total solar eclipse from space during their historic flyby of the moon.
• Observing the eclipse was a late addition to the mission's agenda for the four-person crew.
• During the eclipse, the astronauts also reported seeing flashes of light from meteoroids hitting the lunar surface.
• The crew also captured a rare "Earthset" image, showing the Earth disappearing below the moon's horizon.

The Artemis II astronauts had the rare opportunity to witness a solar eclipse from the perspective of the Orion spacecraft whizzing them through space during a historic flyby over the moon.

Observing the celestial phenomenon was not originally part of the plan for when the crew of NASA's first human moon mission in more than 50 years soared over the lunar surface. But the space agency ultimately made the call to add that to the agenda a few days before astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover of NASA, as well as Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency neared the moon.

Toward the end of an observation period Monday, April 6, the four astronauts donned protective glasses and observed what had to be a breathtaking sight as, from their vantage, the moon blocked the sun and most of the light it emits.

Here's what to know about the solar eclipse the Artemis II astronauts experienced.

Artemis II astronauts witness solar eclipse during lunar flyby

Swooping around the moon's far side, the Orion vehicle carrying the Artemis II astronauts came no closer than 4,067 miles above the lunar surface during a rendezvous that took them a record 252,756 miles from Earth.

That altitude allowed the crew to see the full disk of our celestial neighbor as they witnessed lunar sights that no other humans before – not even the Apollo astronauts – have experienced in person.

One of the later additions to the astronauts' "lunar targeting plan" included witnessing a total solar eclipse.

Not unlike what millions of people witnessed in April 2024 from Earth, the celestial phenomenon involved the moon and sun aligning in a precise way with the Orion vehicle. As the sun disappeared behind the moon for about an hour, the moon became mostly dark and the sun's elusive outermost layer, known as the corona, was revealed.

During the eclipse, the astronauts reported seeing six flashes of light created by meteoroids crashing into the lunar surface at thousands of miles per hour, according to NASA.

White House shares striking photo of solar eclipse witnessed near moon

President Donald Trump's White House shared a photo April 7 on Instagram of the solar eclipse the Artemis II astronauts witnessed.

"Totality, beyond Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun, revealing a view few in human history have ever witnessed," the post read.

Artemis II astronauts also witness 'Earthset'

The crew of Artemis II also captured a breathtaking image of a celestial event known as an "Earthset," in which the Earth dropped below the lunar horizon.

The image is reminiscent of the iconic "Earthrise" photo that NASA astronaut Bill Anders captured in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission that showed our planet rising on the lunar horizon

Artemis II photos show far side of the moon

How long is the Artemis II mission? Here's when they'll land on Earth

After launching April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the astronauts are now making a four-day journey back to Earth, using our planet's gravity to naturally "slingshot," or pull Orion back home, negating the need for propulsion or much fuel.

Once Orion blazes through Earth's atmosphere, a protective heat shield will be cast off to make way for parachutes to deploy and slow the vehicle down.

The capsule is due to make a water landing Friday, April 10, in the Pacific Ocean near California off the coast of San Diego, after which five orange airbags will inflate around the top of the spacecraft and flip the capsule into an upright position. After the landing, the crew would exit the vehicle onto a U.S. Navy recovery vessel within about two hours.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.