During its voyage to the [moon](https://mashable.com/article/moon-facts), a spacecraft captured breathtaking visuals of [Earth](https://mashable.com/article/earth-pictures-images-from-space) obscuring the [sun](https://mashable.com/article/superflares-sun-like-stars-frequency-shocks-scientists).
The Blue Ghost lunar lander, engineered by Firefly Aerospace, a Texas-based company working with [NASA](https://mashable.com/category/nasa), was launched on January 15 and is gearing up for a [demanding moon landing](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-moon-landing-space-artemis) scheduled for March 2. Currently positioned in Earth’s orbit, the robotic craft is leveraging its location to take mesmerizing images of the solar system.
“Behold Earth eclipsing the Sun from the top deck of Blue Ghost — yet another extraordinary postcard moment on our mission to the Moon!” Firefly Aerospace declared in a recent social media update.
In a brief time-lapse video, the spacecraft illustrates Earth shifting between the sun and itself, momentarily obscuring the star. A sliver of sunlight remains visible before Earth exits the scene, leaving the [space](https://mashable.com/category/space) backdrop.
[Blue Ghost](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-spacex-moon-landers-firefly-ispace) will orbit Earth for 25 days before commencing a four-day [journey to the moon](https://mashable.com/article/how-far-moon-earth-distance), which is approximately 240,000 miles distant.
Measuring 6.6 feet in height, the spacecraft is fitted with an assortment of lunar research instruments, including a lunar regolith vacuum and analyzer. Its intended landing location is Mare Crisium, a lava-filled crater on the moon’s near side. This area was last explored in 1976 by the Soviet Luna 24 mission, which gathered lunar soil samples and returned them to our planet.
NASA aims to [land astronauts on the moon](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-artemis-2-moon-mission-delay) by mid-2027 as part of its Artemis program. Meanwhile, the agency collaborates with private sector firms through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to transport research equipment to the lunar surface.
Nonetheless, landing on the moon presents a significant challenge. With nearly no atmosphere to decelerate spacecraft, the endeavor is laden with hazards. While recent [successes](https://mashable.com/article/chandrayaan-3-india-moon-images) have been achieved by Chinese and Indian missions, U.S. commercial spacecraft Odysseus encountered damage during a turbulent landing in 2024, and a Japanese vessel [landed upside down](https://mashable.com/article/japan-moon-landing-recent-images) that same year.
As Blue Ghost gets ready for its ambitious descent, the next few months will determine if it can tackle the obstacles of lunar exploration and achieve a successful landing.