Artemis II’s moonbound astronauts capture Earth’s brilliant blue beauty

The Artemis II astronauts captured the dazzling beauty of our blue planet as they zoomed ever closer to the moon.

The first photo taken by Commander Reid Wiseman shows a curved patch of earth in one of the capsule’s windows.

The second shows the entire globe with the oceans covered by swirling white tendrils of cloud. According to NASA, there is even a green aurora glowing.

“It’s amazing to think that, with the exception of our four friends, we are all represented in this image,” said Lakiesha Hawkins of NASA’s exploration systems leader. She added that the mission went well.

By late Friday afternoon, Wiseman and his crew were more than 110,000 miles from Earth and quickly reached the moon with 150,000 miles to go. They have to reach their destination on Monday.

The three Americans and one Canadian will orbit the moon in their Orion capsule, make a U-turn and then head straight back home without stopping.

They fired Orion’s main engine on Thursday evening, putting them on course.

After Mission Control changed the position of their capsule, the entire Earth, complete with northern lights, filled their windows.

“It was the most spectacular moment and it stopped all four of us in our tracks,” Wiseman said in a TV interview.

They are the first moon travelers since Apollo 17 in 1972.