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Astronomy Picture of the Day - The Path of Artemis II
NASA ^ | 6 Apr, 2026 | The Path of Artemis II Video Credit: NASA, GSFC, Artemis II, SVS

Posted on 04/06/2026 11:58:48 AM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Why doesn't Artemis II land on the Moon? The main reason is that Artemis II is primarily a test mission designed to make a future Artemis missions -- which will land humans on the Moon -- better prepared. Similarly, NASA's Apollo 8 and Apollo 10 went right near the Moon as tests before Apollo 11 -- which landed. As the trajectory in the featured animated video shows, Artemis II will loop around both the Earth and the Moon before returning to the Earth about 10 days after launch. The Artemis II mission will take humans outside the Earth's magnetosphere for the first time since the Apollo missions 50 years ago. In the video, particles from the solar wind are shown as streaks, while the Earth's reacting magnetosphere is shown in flickering green. The Earth's magnetosphere is important in deflecting powerful particles arriving from the Sun as well as creating picturesque auroras visible from the Earth's surface.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; artemis; artemis2; artemisii; nasa; orion
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Todays image is a video at the source link.

1 posted on 04/06/2026 11:58:48 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

Todays image is a video at the source link.

2 posted on 04/06/2026 12:00:06 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

With AI now, they should be able to make the next landing on the Moon much more realistic.

*SNORT* :)


3 posted on 04/06/2026 12:34:27 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: MtnClimber
Here's an up to the minute tracker. https://issinfo.net/artemis.html
4 posted on 04/06/2026 12:50:33 PM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, the Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Flat Earthers United!
.
(Meeting at The Edge)


5 posted on 04/06/2026 1:19:01 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (Resist Satan's Tyranny )
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To: TangoLimaSierra

Neat app! Thanks for the link!


6 posted on 04/06/2026 1:34:43 PM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

And not take so long!


7 posted on 04/06/2026 1:45:14 PM PDT by shotgun
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To: Big Red Badger

8 posted on 04/06/2026 4:09:24 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Yuppers!
.
Ya Can’t trust’em


9 posted on 04/06/2026 7:11:45 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (Resist Satan's Tyranny )
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