A sunset like no other.

Every day we witness the sun setting as night falls. The colours are vibrant and warm, illuminating our sky with intricate combinations. On March 18, 2025, the world was presented with a new perspective of the sunset; something we haven’t seen before. 

The Firefly’s blue ghost landed on the moon on March 2, 2025. It is the first private spacecraft to land and complete the entirety of its mission (taking pictures on the moon). It collected scientific data for 5 hours before falling silent due to the lack of solar energy. One of the extraordinary pictures the spacecraft took was of a lunar sunset. 

Sun setting on the moon, Venus and Earth in the distance

(NASA/Firefly Aerospace via AP)

Due to the moon's lack of an atmosphere, those vibrant colours we see on Earth aren’t present. Instead, the sun dips below the lunar horizon, giving us long shadows and a luminous glow. In the photo, there is also a small dot, our neighbouring and twin planet, Venus. This was a part of NASA’s initiative to try and bring private companies into lunar missions. The mission's goals were to test lunar technology, deliver scientific equipment, and collect data.

The success of the Blue Ghost mission opens new doors for private companies, leading to endless possibilities for change in lunar missions. This increases the opportunities for space travel in the future, even offering the potential for discoveries in the future.