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Artemis II astronauts photographed Earth, the Moon and a solar eclipse during their April 6, 2026 lunar flyby. NASA’s Earthset image captures a crescent Earth sinking behind the cratered Moon; contemporaneous reporting identifies three published mission photos as iPhone images and says the crew carried iPhone 17 Pro Max devices.
What the Artemis II Earthset photo shows
NASA dates the Earthset image to 6:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 6, 2026, as Orion passed around the Moon’s far side. The crescent Earth appears to drop behind the lunar surface. On Earth’s illuminated side, white clouds and blue water are visible over Oceania; the night side is dark. The foreground is marked by overlapping craters and basins. NASA Earth Observatory’s image page provides the image and its description.
The image was one moment in a seven-hour lunar flyby. NASA also highlights views of a total solar eclipse, nearby planets and long shadows at the boundary between lunar day and night.
Were the photos taken with an iPhone 17 Pro?
Contemporaneous reporting by 9to5Mac identifies the astronauts’ phones as iPhone 17 Pro Max devices and says NASA’s official Flickr metadata confirmed that three published images were taken on an iPhone. That is the basis for the phone attribution: NASA’s reviewed gallery and image descriptions confirm the photographs and their mission context, but do not name the phone model.
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- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
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The distinction matters because the flyby collection includes photographs made with other equipment, and NASA does not assign every image to a camera model in its captions. NASA specifically mentions a 400 mm lens for some close-up and Earthrise photographs; it does not establish that those images were made on an iPhone. The reporting also says Apple was not formally involved in spacecraft approval. Read 9to5Mac’s report for the model and Flickr-metadata attribution.
Where to view NASA’s Artemis II photos
NASA’s Artemis II lunar-flyby gallery presents the crew’s images and mission context. NASA says the first flyby images were released April 7, 2026, and were captured by Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen during the April 6 flyby.
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- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
For browsing by subject, NASA’s Earth, Moon and eclipses collection offers categories for all images, Earth, Moon and eclipses. NASA says the default images are converted, lossy JPEGs. Original camera raw files may be requested through individual image pages as processing continues; NASA plans a complete peer-reviewed archive for its Planetary Data System.
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During the flyby, the crew observed impact craters, ancient lava flows and surface fractures, noting differences in terrain color, brightness and texture. They also observed Earthset and Earthrise and captured views of the solar eclipse. NASA’s flyby image release describes these observations and the photography.
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- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
NASA reports that Artemis II reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth. That is the mission’s farthest-point figure; it should not be read as the distance at which the Earthset photograph was taken.
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