NASA's Artemis 2 crew have achieved a lot of firsts in the short time they've been in the air, yet one recent 'indescribable' event has left the astronauts stunned as they become the first humans to witness it in person.
The successful launch of NASA's Artemis 2 last week marked a significant moment in the space industry, as it's the first time in over half a century that astronauts have returned to the Moon — even if they're technically not landing on the natural satellite quite yet.
A delay earlier this year forced people to wait just a little bit longer for the historic mission to commence, yet now it's finally in the air we're able to witness the awe-inspiring spectacle every single day, even if there are some technical issues thrown into the mix.
Jaw-dropping photos captured with an iPhone have left many amazed, and reports from the astronauts witnessing the far side of the Moon for the very first time are sure to leave you stunned, yet a moment that occurred last night might just be the most remarkable so far with crew members unable to describe their feelings of wonder.
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As reported by Sky News, it was shortly after the moment that officially marked Artemis 2 as the longest journey any human has ever undertaken that the crew were able to experience another historical first, as a solar eclipse played out in front of their eyes from what can only be described as the best seat in the house.
Shortly before this happened the crew lost contact with NASA officials back on Earth for a period of around 40 minutes in total.
This solar eclipse itself lasted for about an hour, with the Sun, Orion, and Moon aligning to completely obscure our solar system's central star, creating an effect that was relayed by the spacecraft's pilot Victor Glover in amazement.
"The Sun has gone behind the Moon, and the corona is still visible, and it's bright and it creates a halo almost around the entire Moon," Glover recounted when speaking to mission control.
"But when you get to the Earth side, the Earthshine is already showing. I mean, almost seconds after the Sun set behind the Moon you could see Earthshine. The Earth is so bright out there and the Moon is just hanging in front of us, this black orb out in front of us, in front of us now not the blackness, but the gray that blends and drifts into the blackness."
He noted that stars and planets were visible behind the blackness ahead of the spacecraft, adding that it "is quite an impressive sight. You can still see the horizon lit up brighter where the Sun set, on that side of the Moon.
"The Earthshine is very distinct, and it creates quite an impressive visual illusion," Glover asserted.