Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has provided a breathtaking new perspective on a cosmic event—capturing images of Earth passing in front of the Sun from the surface of the Moon. The rare view, taken on March 14, marks the first time a commercial lunar lander has actively operated during a solar eclipse.
A Historic Mission Nears Its End
Blue Ghost touched down inside the Mare Crisium crater on March 2, making history as the first privately-operated spacecraft to land on the Moon. Its primary mission was to deploy 10 NASA instruments designed to study the Moon’s subsurface. However, the lander’s location on the Moon’s eastern near side also offered an incredible vantage point for observing a solar eclipse.
On March 14 at approximately 1:30 AM EST, Blue Ghost’s onboard camera captured the “diamond ring effect”—a stunning visual phenomenon where the last sliver of sunlight gleams like a jewel before total eclipse. Firefly Aerospace released the first set of images showcasing this event, highlighting the extraordinary view from the lunar surface.
Capturing the Eclipse in Unprecedented Detail
The first image taken by Blue Ghost shows the early phase of the eclipse, with Earth beginning to obscure the Sun. Remarkably, the reflection of the event is also visible on the lander’s solar panels. The photo, snapped from the lander’s top deck, includes elements of its X-band antenna (left), the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (center), and the Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder mast (right).
A second image showcases the moment of totality—a glowing halo of sunlight around the Moon’s horizon, forming a celestial ring of fire. The scene is reminiscent of last year’s total solar eclipse as seen from Earth. However, from Earth’s perspective, this particular alignment resulted in a total lunar eclipse, commonly known as a “blood moon.”
This marks the first time a commercial lander has documented a solar eclipse from the Moon, and the event provided valuable insight into how such eclipses might affect lunar surface conditions.
The Challenge of Lunar Temperatures
Capturing these images wasn’t without challenges. Blue Ghost operates primarily on solar power, but during the eclipse, it had to rely on its battery reserves. The totality phase lasted approximately two hours, exposing the lander to extreme cold—lunar night temperatures can plunge to -208°F (-133°C).
Mission engineers are currently waiting for the X-band antenna to warm up before downlinking additional images. Firefly also plans to analyze data collected by NASA’s instruments during the five-hour eclipse to determine how the event impacted the lunar environment.
One Final Image Before Shutdown
Blue Ghost’s mission is set to conclude on March 16, when lunar night falls over Mare Crisium. Before shutting down, the lander is expected to send back one last set of images—capturing the lunar sunset in what will be another first for commercial spaceflight.
These final images will be a fitting sendoff for a mission that has already pushed the boundaries of private lunar exploration and provided a fresh perspective on celestial events from the Moon’s surface.
