Why Does Earth Look Worse in New Photo From Artemis?

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]Which picture of Earth from this NASA social media post looks better? The one on the left is from 1972. The one on the right, 2026. Most people say the older picture looks so much better that Earth looks sick in the newer one. But experts say the reason is as simple as night and day. Literally. The Apollo 17 picture was taken with the sun hitting Earth.

[00:00:24]The Aremis 2 picture was taken when the sun was hitting the other side of the planet. And pro photographer Jared Poland from the YouTube channel Froos Photo says that makes a huge difference.

[00:00:36]Same thing when you take a picture with your cell phone. If you're out with your iPhone and you are in a bar, it's not going to look good. If the sun is right in your face, the picture's going to look amazing. Astronomers say a clear sign that this picture was taken at night is right here. You can see the sun starting to peek out. Look closer and you can also spot the northern lights on the top, making this picture pretty impressive after