Artemis II Astronauts Witnessed 6 Meteorites Colliding With the Moon

The shock and awe on the face of the folks at Mission Control as they chatted with the astronauts as this happened…

  • During their flyby of the far side of the moon, the Artemis II astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft saw as many as six flashes emerging from the lunar surface. Surprisingly, they were witnessing small meteorites impacting the ground and producing brief flashes of light.
  • NASA’s control room recorded the team’s surprise during the mission livestream, although the cameras did not pick up the flashes. According to the astronauts, the flashes were white or blue-white and lasted less than a second. The cameras they were using to document the moon weren’t fast enough to record them.

Source: Artemis II Astronauts Witnessed 6 Meteorites Colliding With the Moon | WIRED

moon and earth

Artemis II Mobile Wallpapers

Fear not, true believers. We can take our fascination with all things Artemis II on our phones. NASA has made a dozen mobile wallpapers available.

Here are a couple I enjoyed:

Earthrise from Artemis II
Solar eclipse from dark of the moon

Source: Artemis II Mobile Wallpapers – NASA

If these images gave you the itch to look up more often, a decent beginner telescope doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The Celestron NexStar 5SE is what I’d point someone toward — computerized, easy to set up, and will absolutely ruin you for earthly concerns. For something more affordable, the Celestron StarSense Explorer uses your phone to help you find objects and is genuinely magical for beginners.



The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!