Earthset
The moment Earth disappears below the lunar horizon as seen from a spacecraft orbiting or transiting the Moon.
Last refreshed: 6 April 2026
For 40 minutes, Earth was gone. What is it like to be truly alone?
Latest on Earthset
- What happened when the Artemis II crew went behind the Moon?
- The crew observed Earthset at 6:45 PM EDT on 6 April 2026 and Earthrise at 7:25 PM EDT, a 40-minute window in which Earth was entirely absent from their sky. Simultaneously, they were in a communications blackout and unable to contact Mission Control.Source: NASA Artemis II mission updates
- Have astronauts ever lost sight of Earth completely?
- The Artemis II crew were the first living humans to experience Earth completely disappearing from view, during a 40-minute Earthset-to-Earthrise window on 6 April 2026 as Orion passed behind the Moon.Source: NASA Artemis II mission updates
Background
Earthset is the moment Earth disappears below the lunar horizon as seen from a spacecraft transiting or orbiting the Moon. On 6 April 2026, the Artemis II crew observed Earthset at 6:45 PM EDT, followed by Earthrise at 7:25 PM EDT, creating a 40-minute window in which Earth was completely absent from their sky, the first time living humans experienced their home planet disappearing entirely from view.
The phenomenon occurs because as a spacecraft passes behind the Moon, Earth's disc is progressively occluded by the lunar limb, eventually falling entirely below the horizon. The crew's experience of this window differed from the communications blackout: they could not see Earth, and simultaneously could not contact it, producing a complete sensory and communications disconnection from home.
The term Earthset mirrors the familiar concept of sunset: the same geometry, different bodies. Apollo 8 captured the reverse moment, Earthrise, in one of the most reproduced photographs in history. The Artemis II crew experienced both within the same 40-minute window.