AN UPDATE from NASA’s official social media pages on April 6, 2026, revealed a rare view of the moon capturing both its near side and far side in a single frame.
The near side, visible from Earth, is marked by dark patches formed by ancient volcanic activity. In contrast, the far side appears more uniform in color, with fewer surface variations.
Along the boundary lies the Orientale Basin, a massive crater spanning nearly 600 miles across both hemispheres. This feature has now been fully observed by humans for the first time through the Artemis II mission.
On the same day, four astronauts of the Artemis II mission conducted a historic lunar flyby that lasted approximately seven hours. It marks NASA’s first astronaut close encounter with the moon in over 50 years. (JAT)