Over the past eight days, the world has watched four intrepid explorers leave Earth, fly around the Moon, and make spaceflight history. The moments of reverence, camaraderie, and bravery we’ve witnessed since the launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission have done wonders for my faith in humanity, but sadly, all good things must come to an end.

One photo of Earth, taken Thursday by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion window, shows the planet backlit, with auroras visible at the top right and bottom left, Lakiesha Hawkins, deputy director for NASA’s Artemis program, said Friday during a news conference.

The realizations on social media align with what researchers have long known about Earth's composition.

The asteroid is on the European Space Agency's Risk List, but poses no threat to Earth or the moon during the close approach.

NASA spokesperson Lauren Low told PolitiFact that one of the reasons Earth appears duller is because the new photo was taken at night, with only moonlight lighting the planet. The 1972 photo was taken in direct sunlight. The two images were also processed differently, she said.

Christina Koch made history this week, becoming the first woman to travel around the moon. The NASA astronaut’s lunar flyby wasn’t her first groundbreaking moment: Koch also holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and took part in the first all-female spacewalk.

A leading theory posits that life originated in prebiotic volcanic hot springs where the right mixture of elements, water, and energy drove chemical reactions to form the first protocells. To test this hypothesis further, a new study 3D-printed an elaborate system designed to mimic hot spring fields on ancient Earth.

NYC car-free Earth Day street closures. New York City shuts down streets across all five boroughs, allowing residents to walk and bike while taking advantage of a wide range of ev