Across Earth, every night, thousands of automated stargazers are waiting to take pictures of shooting stars. I am one of the scientists who study these meteors.

NASA spokesperson Lauren Low told PolitiFact that one of the reasons Earth appears duller is because the new photo was taken at night, with only moonlight lighting the planet. The 1972 photo was taken in direct sunlight. The two images were also processed differently, she said.

Koch reflected on the nearly 10 days the Artemis II crew spent in space while attending an event in Houston, Texas

Artemis 2's Victor Glover and Christina Koch are all smiles after splashdown.

The photos, taken decades apart in 1968 and 2026, show Earth as it would be seen if you were standing on the moon. Take a look.

Exactly when and how plate tectonics started, however, is a matter of debate. Now, in a study published March 19 in the journal Science, rock samples from Western Australia hint that the Earth’s crust may have been moving as early as 3.48 billion years ago, roughly one billion years after our planet formed.

Live coverage of Artemis 2's splashdown begins this evening as four astronauts return from their historic 10-day mission around the moon.

The crew of Artemis II on Saturday evening were being honored at a NASA event welcoming the astronauts back to Houston.