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.

NASA has released a slew of photos captured by the Artemis II crew as they hurtle through space toward the moon — including an updated version of the iconic “Blue Marble” shot snapped by the Apollo 17 crew more than 50 years ago.

The crew of the Artemis II mission is homeward bound, following their record-breaking journey around the moon.

Orion’s trajectory is so close to preflight predictions that NASA has canceled some of the mission’s course correction burns. The midcourse burns that have occurred were all low-impulse maneuvers using the service module’s smaller jets, which don’t require the helium system to recharge pressure.

A new image from the Orion spacecraft, currently en route home from the moon, reveals the Earth for what it is: a glorious sphere.

On Wednesday, two days after their moon flyby, the crew of the Artemis II mission settled in for a day of preparation to return to Earth.

NASA officials are set to give their daily update on the historic Artemis II mission, as the four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft are on their way back to Earth. The crew — Cmdr. Reid Wiseman,