April 6 - 2026
THE MOON AND HER COLORS:
The standard optical photographs (in visible light) taken by the astronauts of the Artemis II mission from the windows of the Orion capsule during the lunar flyby.
Most were taken by Commander Reid Wiseman and the other crew members using Nikon D5 cameras and other equipment.
Although we see her as gray from Earth, astronauts discovered shades of brown, purple, blue and green when observing her up close (at about 6,500 km away).
The full-color versions (the complete sphere and the zooms) are processed by astrophotographers.
In this case, the Illustrative photos were colored and take by Ildar Ibatulin.
Saturation and contrast are increased, and color enhancement techniques are applied to highlight the subtle differences that the astronauts did see with the naked eye.
WHAT DO THE COLORS MEAN?:
Blues and purples: High titanium content (geologically younger areas).
Oranges, reds, and browns: Higher iron content and basalts from ancient volcanic eruptions.
Greens and earth tones: Different types of regolith (lunar soil) or impact materials.
Bright whites/grays: Recent craters or anorthosite-rich highlands.
This helps to understand the Moon's volcanic history and impacts, and is useful for future resource-seeking missions.
📸 photos belong to Ibatullin Ildar
See all the gallery photos of The Moon in the official site of the Artemis II Mission by the NASA
