
ALT The colours shown on the image range from purples and deep reds (indicating surface temperatures up to 55ºC, seen in parts of central Spain, western France and northern Africa) to light blues that indicate lower surface temperatures in mountainous regions. Some areas were covered by cloud – shown in white.

ALT Map of Europe showing land surface temperatures on 26 May 2026, with a colour scale ranging from blue (cooler, below 10 °C) to dark red (very hot, above 50 °C). Large areas of Western and Southern Europe appear in orange and red, indicating high surface temperatures during a heatwave, particularly over Spain, France, Italy and the UK. Northern and northeastern regions, including Scandinavia and parts of Eastern Europe, are shown in lighter colours and blue, indicating cooler conditions. Major cities including London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Budapest are marked.

ALT Before going to sleep on flight day 5, the Artemis II crew snapped one more photo of the Moon, as it drew close in the window of the Orion spacecraft. Orion and the four humans aboard entered the lunar sphere of influence at 06:37 CEST on 6 April, at the tail end of the fifth day of their mission. That marked the point at which the Moon's gravity had a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's. Artemis II's closest approach to the Moon will come on flight day 6, as they swing around the far side before beginning their journey back to Earth. About an hour after entering the lunar sphere of influence, Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch said, "We are now falling to the Moon rather than rising away from Earth. It is an amazing milestone!"



























