Artemis II: Crew snaps 'Earthset' in throwback to Apollo 8

The Artemis II astronauts photographed the moment when the Earth dips below the moon's horizon, as they prepare to return to our planet's gravitational pull.

The Artemis II crew gave another throwback to 20th century space endeavors, when they on Tuesday snapped a breathtaking shot of an "Earthset," or the moment the Earth dips below the moon's horizon.

The photo is a nod to an iconic Earthrise image, which an Apollo 8 astronaut took in 1968.

What is the latest on the Artemis II mission?

The crew were preparing to return back to the Earth's gravitational pull, after they on Monday broke the record for the longest distance traveled from Earth by humans.

They are due to splashdown in the Pacific off the Californian coast on Friday.

The Artemis II reached a distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) away from the earth, breaking the 1970 Apollo 13's record by more than 4,000 miles.

On Tuesday, the four of them were seen wearing their protective glasses as they witnessed a a total solar eclipse, when the moon blocked the sun from their perspective.

The crew includes US astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Glover is the first Black person to fly around the moon, Koch is the first woman and Hansen is the first non-American.

Their historic mission to loop around Earth's natural satellite is part of a broader program in preparation for a potential 2026 moon landing.

"Humans probably have not evolved to see what we're seeing," said Victor Glover. "It is truly hard to describe. It is amazing."

Edited by: Wesley Rahn