Texas-based private aerospace firm Firefly Aerospace has released a breathtaking image from the Moon’s surface, captured by its Blue Ghost lunar lander. The image, shared via social media, showcases a rare celestial phenomenon known as the ‘diamond ring’ effect.
Firefly Aerospace’s official X handle posted the striking image on 14 March, stating, “#BlueGhost got her first diamond ring! Captured at our landing site in the Moon’s Mare Crisium around 3:30 am CDT, the photo shows the sun about to emerge from totality behind Earth. Hope to have more shots to share soon! #BGM1.”
The photograph was taken at Mare Crisium, a vast lunar basin in the Moon’s northern hemisphere, where Blue Ghost successfully landed as part of its first mission, BGM1. The ‘diamond ring’ effect occurs when sunlight peeks through lunar valleys at the edges of the moon during an eclipse, creating an effect resembling a sparkling ring.
On March 2, 2025, the Blue Ghost lander successfully touched down in the Mare Crisium region, making history as the first commercial company to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. As part of its mission to study the lunar interior, the lander drilled into the surface to examine two key thermal properties: the thermal gradient, which tracks temperature variations at different depths, and thermal conductivity, which determines how efficiently subsurface materials transfer heat.
Additionally, the lander carries ten NASA instruments designed to support future human exploration under the Artemis program.
The successful deployment and operation of Blue Ghost align with the broader objectives of advancing lunar exploration and establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon in the coming years. Firefly Aerospace’s achievements contribute to the growing presence of private industry in space exploration, complementing government-led initiatives such as NASA’s Artemis missions.
With anticipation building, the space community eagerly awaits further updates and imagery from Blue Ghost as it continues its mission on the lunar surface.
