NASA has released high-definition images of a sunset on the moon, taken during a 14-day mission led by private lander Blue Ghost. The images show the spread of the “lunar horizon glow” along the moon’s horizon as the sun sets. This phenomenon was first documented by astronaut Eugene Cernan in 1972 and has since been studied to determine its cause.
The lunar horizon glow is believed to be caused by tiny dust particles in the moon’s thin atmosphere glowing at sunrise and sunset. Blue Ghost, a commercial lander launched by SpaceX on January 15, captured images of this phenomenon for the first time. The lander also took high-definition imagery of a total solar eclipse on March 14.
The mission was part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon in 2027. Blue Ghost is one of several private payloads designed to support the program and reduce costs. Firefly Aerospace, the company behind Blue Ghost, successfully completed its first fully commercial moon landing. This achievement marks a new chapter in space exploration and could become a reference point for future missions.
In contrast, a separate mission by Intuitive Machines ended in failure when its Athena probe toppled upon landing earlier this month. Despite this setback, NASA’s release of the high-definition images highlights the progress being made in lunar exploration.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/18/nasa-images-sunset-on-moon