NASA's Artemis II mission has unveiled its first stunning images of Earth, taken from the Orion spacecraft currently carrying four astronauts on a journey around the Moon. Launched on April 1, 2026, the mission features NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist). One notable photo, taken by Wiseman, shows Earth through the capsule window, shrouded in clouds and appearing to rise in the distance. Another image offers a full view of the planet, highlighting vast oceans and a faint green aurora at the edges. NASA's social media post compared these recent images to those taken by the Apollo 17 crew in 1972, emphasizing the beauty of Earth from space. The post quickly gained traction online, eliciting various reactions from users questioning the changes in Earth's appearance over time. As of Friday morning, the crew had traveled nearly 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) from Earth and is expected to reach lunar proximity on Monday. Christina Koch, who will be the first woman to orbit the Moon, expressed her awe at the views of Earth and the Moon, stating, 'Nothing prepares you for the breathtaking aspect of seeing your home planet.'