One moon, 32 cameras, 10,000 photos – these are the best Artemis II photos so far

 The crew list for the Artemis II includes a commander, pilot, and two mission specialists – but while “photographer” may not be one of the titles, photography was very much part of the first human mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. Artemis II photographs are the intersection of science and art, serving as both a tool for observations and iconic works of art at the same time.

During the livestream of the flyby around the dark side of the Moon, the Artemis II crew estimated they had taken around 10,000 photos of the Moon. NASA says that the Orion has 32 cameras on board – eliminating the cameras that are fixed in place, the crew has 17 photo-taking devices to work with. That includes the main camera, a Nikon D5 DSLR, along with a Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera, GoPros, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

As a photographer who loves to dabble in photographing the stars and the northern lights, I’ve been watching the photos sent back from Orion with fascination. Hearing the crew had 10,000 photos feels rather like coming home from photographing a wedding and realizing how many photos I have to go through. And the gear on board? It includes a 10-year-old DSLR and a nearly 12-year-old GoPro as well as a newer mirrorless and smartphone – so I feel less bad that the camera in my bag is one generation old.

NASA has gradually been releasing some of the Artemis II photos, but many more will likely arrive after the crew’s expected splashdown Friday evening, estimated for just after 8 PM ET on April 10.

As a photographer, I think these are the best photos coming back from the Artemis II mission so far.

Earthset

This photograph of the Earth "setting" over the lunar surface is one that I was hoping to see among the Artemis II photos because it recreates an iconic 1968 photo from Apollo 8. That historic space photo is credited with inspiring Earth Day and uniting a divided planet amid the Vietnam War with its awestruck view of our planet.

Keeper of the Night Sky

I love this photo because it shows both the side of the Moon that we can see from Earth and the side that's only visible with space travel. The dark patches at the top are created from ancient lava, NASA says. Those dark patches are the near side of the Moon that we can see from Earth (Ironic that the "dark side" of the Moon is actually lighter). Underneath that large dark patch is part of the side of the Moon that's not visible from Earth. That large crater is called the Orientale basin.

Artemis II in Eclipse

On Earth, the totality phase of a solar eclipse usually lasts for only a few minutes, but Artemis II astronauts experienced nearly an hour of totality, allowing for iconic photos like this one. Scientists are actually still debating whether the halo around the Moon is the sun's corona, zodiacal light, or a mix of both – but as a photographer, I love how the Moon is softly lit just enough to see a few craters, but you can still see the stars in the distance.

Shadows at the Edge of Lunar Day

Photography is all about light – and this Moon close-up is the perfect example of how much difference light can make. The harsh, directional light adds depth and drama to this close-up, but the light also helps the Artemis II astronauts observe the Moon's topography in more detail.

Starstruck

The Earth's atmosphere (and light pollution) interferes with how many stars we can see from Earth. This photo, taken on Orion on April 7, shows a dazzling view of the Milky Way. One of the Artemis II astronauts snapped this photo with the Nikon Z9 and a 35mm lens.

An Orion selfie

Okay, so this photo is far from perfect – it's overexposed and hazy. But look closer, and you can see the astronauts looking out the windows of Orion! I'll forgive the exposure errors for that, after all, this was taken with an 11-year-old GoPro Hero4 Black mounted outside Orion.

Solar Eclipse of the Heart

That's not to say that an 11-year-old GoPro can't take great pictures. This photo, taken during the eclipse that the astronauts experienced, is phenomenal. It shows both the Orion and the Moon and even manages to catch a few stars. Not bad low-light image quality coming from an older action camera.

The lines between night and day

These two images, one of the Earth and one of the Moon, show what the split between night and day looks like from space. I love how similar these two photos are, despite having entirely different subjects.