The Artemis II crew flew farther from Earth than any humans in history as they passed over the far side of the moon on Monday night.

The sightings came at a surreal moment. About an hour after the spacecraft swung around the Moon's farside, the Sun slipped behind the lunar disk, giving the astronauts a view no human has ever had before: a solar eclipse from behind the Moon, according to NASA. In that darkness, the impacts stood out.

The voyage of four astronauts to the far side of the moon has given the world a glimpse of America at its best, offering a respite from global despair and displeasure over U.S-led conflict, tariffs, and crumbling global institutions.

Over seven hours, the astronauts took thousands of photos that will help inform scientists’ understanding of the moon. The first ones have now been released.

The Artemis II crew, led by Reid Wiseman, was the first to lay eyes on several craters on the far side of the moon. The astronauts want to name one of them after Carroll Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020.

The photos show an eclipse and a distant Earth disappearing behind the moon, a disorienting and surreal perspective. Here's what to know.

HOUSTON (AP) — Still aglow from their triumphant lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts put in a call to their friends aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as they headed home from the moon.

Astronauts aboard Artemis II have shared some spectacular images from space and the source came as a surprise to viewers on social media. NASA shared three photos from astronauts aboard the mission, all of which were shot by an iPhone. The pictures, shared during mission preparations, were taken using Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The Artemis II astronauts witnessed a solar eclipse from space during their historic flyby over the moon, a sight few have seen in person.