NASA’s Artemis II mission has captured a striking new perspective of the Moon, showing Earth setting beyond the lunar horizon in a rare and visually dramatic moment from deep space.

The image, taken on April 6, 2026, at 6:41 p.m. EDT by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon, reveals Earth partially dipping behind the Moon’s curved limb—an event often described as an “Earthset.”

A Geological Snapshot of the Moon

Beyond its visual impact, the image offers a detailed look at the Moon’s complex surface.

The Orientale basin, one of the Moon’s most prominent impact structures, is visible along the edge of the lunar surface. Nearby, the Hertzsprung Basin appears as faint concentric rings, partially disrupted by the younger Vavilov crater, which sits atop the older geological formation.

Also visible are chains of secondary craters—linear indentations formed by debris ejected during the massive impact that created the Orientale basin.

Artemis II: Earth in Shadow and Light

The photograph also captures Earth in a moment of contrast.

The darkened portion of the planet is in nighttime, while the illuminated side reveals swirling cloud formations over Australia and the Oceania region, offering a reminder of Earth’s dynamic atmosphere even from hundreds of thousands of kilometres away.

Artemis II: A New Era of Lunar Exploration

The Artemis II mission marks a major step in NASA’s return to the Moon, carrying astronauts on a crewed journey around the lunar surface for the first time in over five decades.

Images like this not only provide scientific insights into lunar geology but also offer a powerful visual connection between Earth and its nearest celestial neighbour—highlighting both the scale of space exploration and the fragility of our home planet.

Artemis will be the first human mission to travel beyond low-Earth orbit since the Apollo era, and it is designed as a 10-day journey that will take astronauts on a flyby around the Moon before returning to Earth.

NASA is set to make history with the launch of its first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, with liftoff targeted for April 1, 2026, marking humanity’s return to deep space exploration after more than five decades.

The mission, known as Artemis II, will carry four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft using NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket. The launch is scheduled from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with additional backup launch opportunities extending through early April.

This will be the first human mission to travel beyond low-Earth orbit since the Apollo era, and it is designed as a 10-day journey that will take astronauts on a flyby around the Moon before returning to Earth.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission is expected to test critical systems such as life support, navigation, and the spacecraft’s heat shield in deep space conditions.

Unlike future Artemis missions, Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface. Instead, it serves as a crucial step toward upcoming missions that aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and eventually enable crewed missions to Mars.

NASA officials say the mission represents a major milestone in space exploration, combining international collaboration and advanced technology to usher in a new era of human spaceflight.

Scientists map magnetic fields in molecular clouds near the Milky Way, revealing their key role in slowing and shaping star formation.

Scientists have uncovered new insights into how stars are formed by mapping the magnetic fields surrounding molecular clouds near the Milky Way’s disc, offering a deeper understanding of one of the universe’s most fundamental processes.

The study focuses on two small molecular clouds—L1604 and L121—revealing how magnetic fields influence the balance between gravity and internal pressure during star formation.

Magnetic Fields Star Formation in Milky Way Clouds

For decades, astronomers have understood star formation as a balance between gravity pulling gas inward and internal pressure pushing outward. However, the new research highlights a third critical factor: magnetic fields.

In a media statement, the researchers explained that magnetic fields act as an invisible force shaping how molecular clouds evolve and collapse to form stars.

The study was conducted by scientists from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)m Uttarakhand, India and Assam University, using advanced polarimetric techniques to detect otherwise invisible magnetic structures.

Magnetic Fields Star Formation Observed Using Polarimetry

To map these fields, the team used R-band polarimetry with the ARIES Imaging Polarimeter mounted on a 104-cm telescope in Nainital.

This technique measures how starlight becomes polarised as it passes through dust grains aligned by magnetic fields.

In a media statement, the researchers said that by analysing thousands of such light signals, they were able to “see” the skeleton of magnetic fields surrounding the molecular clouds for the first time.

Two Molecular Clouds Reveal Contrasting Behaviour

The study examined two distinct clouds:

• L1604, located about 816 parsecs away, is dense and massive, with strong potential for future star formation
• L121, much closer at 124 parsecs, is less dense but exhibits a stronger and more organised magnetic field

In a media statement, the scientists noted that the orderly magnetic structure in L121 suggests it has not yet undergone intense gravitational collapse, unlike more active star-forming regions.

Magnetic Fields Star Formation Controlled by Energy Balance

By calculating magnetic field strength, the researchers found that both clouds are sub-critical, meaning magnetic forces are strong enough to resist gravitational collapse across most of their structure.

In a media statement, the team stated that magnetic energy dominates over both turbulence and gravity at the outer regions of the clouds.

However, deep within the dense cores, gravity may begin to take over, creating conditions suitable for star formation.

The “Recipe” for Star Formation

The findings suggest that magnetic fields play a crucial role in regulating how quickly stars form.

In a media statement, researchers said that magnetism acts as an “invisible hand,” slowing down star formation and preventing galaxies from converting all their gas into stars at once.

The study positions L1604 and L121 as natural laboratories for understanding the interplay between gravity and magnetism.

Rather than being passive clouds, they represent dynamic systems where fundamental forces interact over millions of years to shape the birth of stars.

The findings offer a clearer picture of how galaxies like the Milky Way sustain star formation over long cosmic timescales, balancing collapse with control.