A photo of Earth seemingly taken from the Moon's surface has been widely shared on social media. However, the photo is actually AI-generated and not an actual photograph shot by Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation's lunar mission that landed on the Moon's south pole on August 23.
The photo was first published on the news network WION's website on August 23, 2023, with the title "How Earth will look from the Moon after Chandrayaan-3 lands." The report stated that the images were generated using AI to depict Earth's view from the Moon's surface.
A reverse search of the photo led to the same photo being published on other websites, including Facebook and Twitter. Some of the posts claimed that the photo was taken by Chandrayaan-3.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has not released any photos of Earth taken by Chandrayaan-3 after its soft landing on the Moon. The only photos of Earth that ISRO has released were taken by the Lander Imager camera onboard Chandrayaan-3 on July 14, 2023, the day of its launch.
It is therefore clear that the photo of Earth from the Moon's surface that has been widely shared on social media is AI-generated and not an actual photograph.
It is important to be aware of the spread of misinformation on social media. When you see a photo that seems too good to be true, it is always best to do a reverse search to verify its authenticity.
Also read | Fact Check: Old video of NASA's Apollo Mission misinterpreted as visuals of Moon captured by Chandrayaan-3
Also read | FACT CHECK: Viral image of national emblem on lunar surface is photoshopped | Check here
