Jonathan Dobres

Artemis II’s recent lunar flyby has produced some of the most astounding images in the history of humanity. Hank Green walks us through some of his favorites and explains their significance. He opens with some historical audio of the moments leading up to Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise photo, captured in the nick of time. “Hand me a roll of color, quick, would you?” says Bill Anders, in that calm, steady tone that seems unique to astronauts.

Back in 1968, the Apollo 8 crew seemed almost caught off guard by the awe-inspiring views they scrambled to capture. Artemis II’s crew, on the other hand, were ready. As Green says, “People ask why we haven’t been back to the moon in fifty years. It’s not that we’re late now, it’s that we were early then.”

It’s impossible to pick a favorite, but NASA’s official Flickr account has them all.