---
title: "Beautiful New Photo Shows the Moon With Earth In the Background"
description: "For the first time ever, a satellite photographed the Moon's far side and the Earth in a single shot. Here's a copy you can look at."
date: "2019-02-06"
modified: "2019-02-06"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/beautiful-photo-moon-earth"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "china"
  - "earth"
  - "moon"
  - "the digest"
---

# Beautiful New Photo Shows the Moon With Earth In the Background

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/photo-far-side-of-moon-earth.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: CSNA\</em\>*

## Earthrise

We've seen it before, but never this clearly. For the first time, China's Longjiang-2 satellite photographed the entirety of the Moon's far side and the Earth in a single shot, [*Popular Mechanics* reports](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a26185853/chinese-satellite-image-earth-moon-far-side/>).

The [16 kilobyte image](<https://twitter.com/tammojan/status/1092858007501852672>) was downloaded by the Dutch Dwingeloo Radio Telescope over the course of about 20 minutes.

We already received images taken by the satellite of the Moon and Earth [back in October](<https://gbtimes.com/radio-enthusiasts-receive-new-earth-and-moon-images-from-chinese-microsatellite-in-lunar-orbit>). But this [new one](<https://twitter.com/JPMajor/status/1092528252487417857>) is the first that shows the Moon in its entirety.

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/moon.jpg>)

Earlier photos showed off the Moon with the Moon in the foreground, [reminiscent](<https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/dec/22/behold-blue-plant-photograph-earthrise>) of NASA's Apollo missions.

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/20180614-moon-earth-longjiang-2-2-1549469247.png>)

## Satellite Journey

China's Longjiang-2 satellite entered the Moon's orbit in June 2018, alongside its sibling satellite Queqiao. Queqiao has also played a crucial role in China's lunar lander mission, [relaying information](<https://futurism.com/china-lunar-rover-change-4-far-side-moon-photos>) about China's Chang'e-4's lander since it landed earlier this year.

It [lost its twin satellite](<http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2018/20180614-longjiang-2-earth-pics.html>) Longjiang-1 back in May 2018 when it spun off and lost contact with the Chinese National Space Administration back on Earth.

Queqiao and Longjiang-2 are still orbiting the moon, though, so we'll likely see many more stunning images of our closest neighbor in the future.

READ MORE: [Chinese satellite captures moon and Earth like you've never seen them](<https://www.cnet.com/news/chinese-satellite-captures-moon-and-earth-like-youve-never-seen-them/>) \[*CNET*\]

***More on China's lunar program: [China's Lander Just Sprouted First-Ever Plants on the Moon](<https://futurism.com/chinas-lander-sprouted-tiny-cotton-plants-moon>)***

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)