Firefly Aerospace’s private lunar lander, Blue Ghost, has sent back stunning images of the recent total lunar eclipse from its perch on the moon. The photos show Earth blocking the sun during the eclipse at around 4:30 a.m. EDT (0830 GMT) on March 14, forming a bright ring of light in the dark lunar skies.
The “diamond ring” phenomenon occurs when sunlight pokes through valleys and mountain ridges on the moon, just before or after the period of totality. This rare occurrence can be viewed from Earth during solar eclipses, but Blue Ghost is the first commercial company to witness it on the moon’s surface.
Firefly Aerospace celebrated this milestone, marking the beginning of a new era in private lunar landers. The company stated that this phenomenon occurred simultaneously as the lunar eclipse witnessed on Earth, with the sun passing between Earth and the moon while we saw a lunar eclipse.
Blue Ghost landed on the moon’s near side on March 2 and has been sending back incredible photos and videos of its excursion since then. This marks the first time in history a commercial company was actively operating on the moon and able to observe this phenomenon.
Source: https://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/wow-private-lunar-lander-watches-diamond-ring-eclipse-from-the-surface-of-the-moon-photo