The windows on the Orion spacecraft are already dirty. The four astronauts aboard Artemis II spend so much time pressing their faces against the glass to stare back at their home planet that mission commander Reid Wiseman actually radioed Houston to ask for window-cleaning procedures.

One photo of Earth, taken Thursday by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion window, shows the planet backlit, with auroras visible at the top right and bottom left, Lakiesha Hawkins, deputy director for NASA’s Artemis program, said Friday during a news conference.

NASA's Artemis II crew left Earth orbit Thursday evening en route for the moon, marking a milestone not reached in more than 50 years.

The new Artemis II images — coupled with initial shots of the spacecraft hurtling through Earth's orbit, surrounded by glittering, galactic ice — have rendered much of the public awestruck, feeds flooding over with an overwhelming sense of emotion as the astronauts look back at our home.

Humanity has returned to deep space as the Artemis II crew leaves Earth behind for the first lunar mission in half a century. We’re following along on their 10-day mission.

To understand how the Earth formed, you might want to start with thinking about your breakfast.

Where did all the water come from? Water, water everywhere. It covers 70 percent of Earth’s surface and earns it the nickname “the blue planet.” And yet… where did it come from? How is it so abundant on our planet when it’s almost nonexistent ...

TOI-4616 b is an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting an M-dwarf that offers a strong benchmark for studying atmospheric loss and planetary evolution. Astronomers have identified a rocky exoplanet that may become an important reference point for future research.