Spacecraft spots Earth and moon from 40 million miles away

A NASA spacecraft on its way to investigate a nearby asteroid has caught a remarkable glimpse at the orbital dance of Earth and the moon from far away. In a new image shared today by the space agency, Earth and its only natural satellite are the two brightest specks in a black sky. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft snapped the incredible photo from 39.5 million miles away, as it flew by at 19,000 miles per hour (8.5 kilometers per second). A NASA spacecraft on its way to investigate a nearby asteroid has caught a remarkable glimpse at the orbital dance of Earth and the moon from far away. Osiris is on its way to the near-Earth asteroid'Bennu,' in a mission to collect a 2.1-ounce sample and return it to Earth for study.