ALT The Moon is seen shining over the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on January 28, 2026. The sky is a dark blue gradient in the background. The core stage of the rocket is a burnt orange color. It is topped with the white Orion spacecraft and sandwiched between two white solid rocket boosters. The mobile launcher is a trussed structure that stands behind the rocket. The perspective of the image if from below the rocket looking upward. Credit: NASA/Brandon Hancock

ALT Seen from behind the Moon during the Artemis II mission, the Moon and Earth align in the same frame, each partially illuminated by the Sun. The Moon’s surface appears in sharp detail in the foreground, while Earth sits much farther away, smaller and softly lit in the background. A faint reflection in the spacecraft window is also visible, subtly overlaying the scene. Though their phases differ, both are shaped by the same sunlight, revealing the geometry of the Sun–Earth–Moon system from deep space. Credit: NASA