Rare solar eclipse spotted on the never-before-seen side of the Moon: What unique phenomenon did Artemis II astronauts observe during their flyby beyond the Moon?

Artemis II astronauts recently made a flyby beyond the moon after the last one done by Apollo astronauts in 1972.


This marks NASA's bold step back toward lunar orbits, with four astronauts orbiting the far side not visible to the human eye, which is now set to return by approximately 5:23 a.m. IST on April 11, 2026.

Such achievements not only fill the astronauts with thrill but also make the people back home curious about what they saw while in space.

Let’s dive in to know

What did Artemis II astronauts see during the Moon flyby?

NASA's Artemis II crew, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, snapped thousands of groundbreaking photos during their seven-hour flyby of the Moon's far side on April 6, 2026.

According to NASA, these images, released starting April 7, show untouched lunar regions, including craters, lava flows, and fractures, helping scientists map the Moon's ancient history. The team also tracked terrain colours, brightness, textures, earthset/earthrise events, and six meteoroid flashes on the dark surface, but what made the flyby truly incredible was a unique eclipse that would never be witnessed on Earth.

Artemis II astronauts spot a rare solar eclipse

A rare in-space solar eclipse, visible only from their deep-space perch was the real treasure!

As they looped the far side, the Sun remained fully eclipsed by the Moon for 54 minutes of totality, way longer than Earth's few-minute versions. This let them photograph the Sun's glowing corona halo, plus visible stars, Venus or Mars/Saturn in some shots, and faint features like Mare Crisium, lit by Earthshine. Unlike Earth views, always the near side, they saw the hidden far side silhouetted.

What else did the astronauts see

High-res shots captured Vavilov Crater up close, earthset over cratered rims, and the Orion spacecraft framed against the eclipsed Sun. No stars usually show in bright space pics due to exposure, but totality made them pop. The crew proposed naming two far-side craters "Integrity" and "Carroll" after their ship and Wiseman's late wife.


“Our four Artemis II astronauts — Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy — took humanity on an incredible journey around the Moon and brought back images so exquisite and brimming with science, they will inspire generations to come,” said Dr. Nicky Fox, NASA Science Mission Directorate associate administrator, according to a BBC report.

More images are coming as the crew heads home, almost done with their trip that launched April 1. This flyby, the farthest humans from Earth at 406,771 km, tests tech for future Moon landings and Mars.