Then Vs Now: NASA Shares Pics Of Earth Clicked 54 Years Apart By 'Apollo 17' & 'Artemis II'

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared side-by-side pictures showing how our home planet Earth was captured on camera from space in 1972 by the crew of first Moon mission 'Apollo 17' and the second lunar mission ‘Artemis II’ in 2026.

‘Our Home Looks Gorgeous'

Sharing the pictures on social media, NASA wrote, “We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: Our home looks gorgeous from space! The left view is from the Apollo 17 crew in 1972 and the right was captured yesterday by the Artemis II crew."

The first picture is called ‘The Blue Marble' and was taken on December 7, 1972, by the NASA astronaut Harrison Schmitt from the Apollo 17 spacecraft, while it was on its way to the Moon. 

The second picture was taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis Commander Reid Wiseman from Orion spacecraft's window on April 3, 2026, after completing the translunar injection burn. 

Spot The Difference!

After NASA shared the then vs now picture, netizens got engaged in finding out how the Earth has changed in the 54-year time span.

An X user said, “54 years of technology revolutions and Earth still looks the same from the Moon. the most humbling thing about space travel is how small all our breakthroughs look from 250,000 miles out." Another marveled, “54 years apart, yet Earth still takes our breath away."

Meanwhile, a netizen also pointed out that the two pictures is a reminder of how global warming and environmental stress has brought led to changes in ocean colouration and other differences. In a post on X, the netizen said, “The latest view of our planet Earth captured by the Artemis II crew is both breathtaking and sobering. Since 1972, human activities (industrial expansion, deforestation, fossil fuel combustion, and urbanization) have significantly altered the planet’s natural balance. The visible shifts in cloud patterns, ocean coloration and land degradation reflect rising global temperatures, biodiversity loss and environmental stress.

This image is not just a symbol of progress in space exploration, but a reminder - while humanity has advanced technologically, the ecological cost has been profound. The responsibility now lies in reversing damage, restoring ecosystems and ensuring that future generations inherit a planet that is not only habitable, but thriving and these is only possible through collective doings by all of us."

Another comment read, “The old Earth image looks sharper while this new image looks dull. Camera quality or climate change?"

Artemis II

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon to verify today’s capabilities for humans to explore deep space and pave the way for long-term exploration and science on the lunar surface.

The astronauts are on a 10-day journey around the Moon. This comes more than 50 years after Apollo astronauts went to the Moon.

Also Read- 'You Guys Look Great': 1st High Resolution Picture Of Earth Captured From Historic Artemis II Moon Mission Released