NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman has delivered what may be the most impressive smartphone moon photo ever taken. During the Artemis II mission, Wiseman captured a detailed image of the Chebyshev crater on the far side of the moon using nothing more than his iPhone 17 Pro with 8x zoom. The crew achieved optimal conditions by turning off all cabin lights before the lunar flyby.

This wasn't just any moon photo. Wiseman's image shows remarkable detail of a lunar impact site we never see from Earth, demonstrating how consumer technology has evolved to match professional space photography. The Orion spacecraft carrying Wiseman and three other astronauts approached within striking distance of the moon on April 6, 2026, as part of their 10-day mission that launched on April 1.

Artemis II has already broken records, flying 252,756 miles from Earth and surpassing Apollo 13's distance record. The crew completed their lunar flyby at 9:35 PM on April 6 and is now returning home, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10. NASA plans to release additional images from the mission in the coming days, giving us more glimpses of the moon's mysterious far side.