When you purchase through links on our site , we may earn an affiliate charge . Here ’s how it works .
What it is : Sunset on the lunation , part of the firstcollectionof high - definition mental imagery of a lunar sundown
Where it is : mons veneris Latreille , a mountain in the moon ’s Mare Crisium ( " Sea of Crises " ) river basin
Sunset with Earth and Venus on the horizon, as seen by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost spacecraft on the moon.
When it was shared : March 18 , 2025
Why it ’s so particular : This hebdomad , a space vehicle on the moontook a unique sequence of imagesof a lunar sunset . Firefly Aerospace ’s Blue Ghost lunar lander snap these gorgeous high - definition photos from its stead at the foot of Mons Latreille , a good deal in the " Sea of Crises " river basin , cheeseparing to the " Sea of Tranquility , " where the Apollo 11 mission landed in 1969 .
Taken from different cameras and run up together , thefootageshows the view glowing as the sunlight sets , with Earth and Venus on display . ( Venus is the glowing Elvis to the upper right field of the sun , and Earth is the large , bright object at the upper left hand . )
Another image from Blue Ghost shows darkness falling over the moon as Earth and Venus look on.
Related:‘Blood moon ' entire lunar occultation : sensational photos of our celestial neighbour turning red over the Americas
Sunsets are much rare on the moon than they are on Earth . Because the moon is tidally locked with Earth , one day on the moon — sunrise to sunset — lasts 14.5 Earth days . That ’s half the clip it take for the moon to orbit Earth .
That explains why Firefly Aerospace ’s Blue Ghost missionary work , which launch Jan. 15 , could hold itself using solar panels for just over two weeks . After landing on March 2 , it function on solar power until transition to shelling power on March 16 . It finally " go disconsolate " at 7:15 pm EDT that daylight , five hours after send back its landmark images . In total , it operate during 346 hour of daytime on the moon , agree toFirefly Aerospace .
As it went dark , Blue Ghost ’s mission come full circle , having begun with an image of alunar sunriseon March 3 . On March 14 , the space vehicle took an iconic image of a " blood moonshine " full lunar occultation as seen from Earth . From Blue Ghost ’s perspective on the moon , it see to it a totalsolar eclipse — ended with a " diamond doughnut " effect — from a red lunar control surface .
— James Webb telescope ’s view of the Flame Nebula is a ' quantum bound ' forth for uranologist
— Hubble hunts a stellar ' imposter ' hide out in the Great Bear
— The last view of the ' Great Comet of 2025 ' for half a million years
Blue Ghost Mission 1 , nicknamed " Ghost Riders in the Sky , " was a groundbreaking mission in pile of ways .
" Firefly ’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 mark the tenacious Earth’s surface continuance commercial-grade commission on the synodic month to date , collect sinful scientific discipline data that will benefit world for decades to get along , " Nicky Fox , associate executive of the Science Mission Directorate atNASAheadquarters in Washington , D.C. , say in astatement .
For more sublime space persona , jibe out ourSpace Photo of the Week archives .
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again , you will then be propel to insert your show name .
