iPhone Captures Historic Earthset Behind Moon During Artemis II Mission
In a stunning technological achievement, the Earth setting behind the moon has been captured on video for the first time in human history using an Apple iPhone. Artemis II astronaut Reid Wiseman filmed this celestial event during the mission's lunar flyby this month, creating a breathtaking 53-second video that has captivated audiences worldwide.
The Moment of Wonder
Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II mission, shot the video through Integrity's docking hatch window using an iPhone 17 Pro Max. The footage shows what astronauts call an "Earthset" - the earthly equivalent of a sunset, but viewed from the unique perspective of space. In the video, Wiseman can be heard exclaiming, "Would you look at that, man," while another crew member responds with an awestruck, "Wow."
Posting on social media platform X, Wiseman wrote: "Only one chance in this lifetime... Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn't resist a cell phone video of Earthset." He added that the iPhone was the "perfect size" to capture this historic moonshot, noting the footage was uncropped and uncut with 8x zoom.
Technical Achievement and Reactions
The video represents a remarkable fusion of consumer technology and space exploration. Wiseman explained that the iPhone's 8x zoom provided a view "quite comparable to the view of the human eye," though he acknowledged technical differences in focal lengths between camera optics and human vision.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman responded to the post with a simple but powerful: "Yes." Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy called it "quite possibly the most incredible video ever captured by a phone. Bravo." Social media users marveled at the achievement, with one commenting: "Can you imagine showing this video to someone born anytime before, like 1920?"
Artemis II Mission Context
The Earthset video was captured as the Artemis II crew orbited around the moon's far side - often called the dark side despite receiving sunlight. For approximately 40 minutes during this maneuver, the astronauts had no contact with Earth, experiencing complete isolation with only the moon, the blue crescent of Earth, and the knowledge of 8.3 billion people on the planet below.
During their mission, the crew witnessed several extraordinary phenomena:
- A 53-minute solar eclipse from a vantage point no human has ever experienced
- The Mare Orientale, a dark, ringed 600-mile-wide crater never before seen in full by human eyes
- A halo of wispy light leaking from the sun's edges during the eclipse
- Venus, Mars, and Saturn twinkling in the cosmic background
The Challenge of Cosmic Photography
Artemis II pilot Victor Glover noted the difficulty of capturing such moments photographically. "Humans probably have not evolved to see what we're seeing," Glover said. "It is truly hard to describe. It is amazing." The moment when Earth emerges from behind the moon's pale grey edge - known as an Earthrise - was first witnessed by humans in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission.
Mission Success and Future Implications
Wiseman, along with crew members Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, and Victor Glover, safely returned to Earth on April 10, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. By successfully completing their mission and reuniting with Earth's gravity, the team has helped pave the way for NASA's future Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the lunar surface and eventually establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.
The iPhone-captured Earthset video represents more than just a technological marvel - it symbolizes how consumer technology has become sophisticated enough to document humanity's greatest explorations, bringing cosmic perspectives within reach of everyday devices and sharing the wonder of space with people around the world.
