While in space, Wiseman took out his iPhone to capture a glimpse of the Earth just barely peeking around the Moon in what is called an "Earthset" as they continued their journey.
Most notably, at the very beginning of the video, Wiseman's iPhone camera took a moment to adjust, and it captured the vastness of space and the stars beyond before focusing on the Earth, giving the impression of black, starless space around it.
Wiseman reflected on the moment:
"Only one chance in this lifetime…"
"Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset."
"You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as [Christina Koch] is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those exceptional Earthset photos through the 400mm lens. [Victor Glover] was in window three, watching with [Jeremy Hansen] next to him."
"I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window, but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view… this is uncropped, uncut with eight-times zoom, which is quite comparable to the view of the human eye. Enjoy."
You can watch Reid Wiseman's video here:
Viewers were impressed by the video, and not just the most zoomed-in "Earthset" part.
This is a great reminder—and not just for the Artemis II journey—that memories are not always made in the perfect, curated, and highly-edited photos and videos we post on Instagram.
Rather, the more touching moments are usually found in the candids, and in the moments before the camera lens adjusts to the Earth and takes in the vast darkness around the Earth and Moon, where viewers can really get a sense of the immensity of space.
But the heartfelt way they did so not only pulled on fans' heartstrings, but also illustrated the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility, especially in these times.
It's pretty much a master class in how to end a relationship not just amicably, but in a way that honors the relationship itself.
In an Instagram post, the pair wrote:
“This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together with so much love, respect, and care for each other,."
“We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us.”
They then thanked their podcast listeners for their support, and for showing them the power of visibility.
"So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters."
"Thank you for being with us through all of it… it means the world to us.”
In a video, they also shared their gratitude with fans and revealed the future of their podcast, which will have six more episodes which Rapinoe and Bird will trade-off hosting before they both move on to other projects separately.
On Instagram, fans of the pair were equal parts devastated by the split and deeply moved by the way the pair spoke about it.
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Rapinoe and Bird's relationship is said to have begun in 2016 while they were both hosting coverage for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and the pair announced their engagement in 2020.
Both share legend status in their respective sports. Rapinoe played soccer for the United States Women's National Team, leading the team to victories in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup tournaments. She won the prestigious Ballon d'Or Féminin in 2019 before retiring in 2023.
Bird played for WNBA team the Seattle Storm from 2002 to 2022, leading the team to championships in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020 before being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025.
We wish them both the very best in their next steps.
Addressing the camera, Youssef said:
"Salamu Alaykum, everyone. I'm Ramy Youssef."
Elmo then said:
"Oh, and Elmo's Elmo!"
Then, turning to Youssef, Elmo asked:
"Mr. Ramy, what does salamu alaykum mean?"
Youssef replied:
"Well, salam means peace, and it's a way to say hello in Arabic."
After learning the meaning of the phrase, Elmo told everyone salamu alaykum before Youssef said they were together to wish everyone a happy Arab American Heritage Month.
Youssef then referred to Elmo as habibi.
Elmo asked:
"What's habibi?"
Youssef explained:
"...it's an Arabic word for a special friend."
The clip was posted across the program's social media with the caption:
"The word of the day is HABIBI! Happy #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth from Ramy Youssef, Elmo, and all of your friends on Sesame Street!"
And while many fans chimed in with message of support and celebration...
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...self-identified MAGA patriots—Islamaphobic bigots—came out in force in the comments on X.
Even though Muslim and Arab aren't synonymous.
@SamuelZHamilton/X
@usaupgrade/X
Arab is considered an ethnicity like Hispanic, not a race nor a religion.
The term Arab defines a cultural, linguistic, and ancestral identity shared by people from the Arab world—22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. While Arabs share language and history, they are not a monolithic racial nor religious group.
Not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arab.
Perhaps if the people commenting with hate on Sesame Street's post paid attention during Arab American Heritage Month, they wouldn't be so ignorant.
