As the four-member crew of the Orion spacecraft approaches Earth after an incredible journey around the Moon, mission control in Houston is gradually releasing new, surreal footage from deep space. However, what was meant to be an exclusive celebration of science quickly turned into a battleground for debate.
The frame shows the Moon illuminated from behind during a solar eclipse, captured by the cameras of the Orion spacecraft, which can be seen in the foreground on the left side. Earth, although not directly in focus, plays a key role in this visual spectacle, with its reflection of sunlight illuminating the left edge of the Moon, making it slightly brighter than the rest of the lunar disk.
As if that weren’t enough, other planets are also visible in the background of this cosmic composition: a bright spot just below the lower right edge of the Moon is Saturn, while Mars is noticeable at the very right edge of the photograph.
"Flat Earth" Trending Again
Although NASA released this photograph, along with all others, to demonstrate the incredible capabilities of its cameras and the complexity of celestial mechanics, proponents of the "Flat Earth" theory have used them as a new pretext for debate.
On social media, analyses quickly began to pile up, with some claiming that the curvature of shadows and the way light reflects "prove" that the official narrative of a round Earth is incorrect, questioning the perspective from which the Orion spacecraft captured the frame.
On the other hand, the scientific community and astronomy enthusiasts are countering the claims, emphasizing that these very photographs, with perfectly spherical shapes of the Moon and clear reflections, represent irrefutable and final proof of the shape of our planet and the solar system. Yet, it seems that every new mission and every new glimpse into space always reawakens doubts among a portion of the public.
What do you think when you look at these incredible scenes? Are such photographs final proof, or do they leave room for conspiracy theories?