A Long History of Feeling Small
Images that changed perspectives, from America to Artemis
They’re calling it “Earthset.”
It’s one of many stunning images beamed down from the Artemis II capsule as it circled the Moon. The NASA mission — the first to bring humans to the vicinity of the Moon in more than 50 years — had some scientific benefits, but its main importance was, honestly, emotional.
In the midst of a dark period, a time of war and cynicism in which many people feel like our world is in a tailspin, here was a reminder that we can do ambitious things. A lot of people I know followed the news from space with a palpable sense of relief, grateful to pay attention to the achievements of capable and impressive people for once.
As stunning as the astronauts’ photos of the Moon are, I was not alone in being especially awed by images like “Earthset” that showed the Earth from afar. Since we seem to be marinating in ugliness and division a lot of the time these days, it was useful to be reminded that we’re all living together on this oasis in the darkness of space.
