The Yutu 2 rover is the first to explore the far side of the moon and has made some interesting discoveries.
Since landing in Von Krmn crater atop the Chang'e 4 lander in January, Yutu 2 has been using its science instruments to image and analyze its surroundings.
The solar-powered rover recently spotted a strange cube-shaped hut on its horizon that has generated quite a bit of media buzz, despite most likely being just a rock. Over the past couple of years, other findings have drawn attention.
The Yutu 2 rover found something on the far side of the moon.
The Yutu 2 rover spotted a cube shape on the far side of the moon. The image is from Our Space.
A moon discovery and rocks.
Our Space, a Chinese-language science outreach channel affiliated with the China National Space Administration, initially described the object in the middle of the small crater as a "gel-", which can be translated as "". There wasn't an image.
The substance was created by an impact, and scientists thought it was glassy. A recent paper in the journal Nature was authored by Chinese scientists and reported that the material was likely from a meteorite strike on the moon.
The Yutu 2 moon rover captured this image of glassy material from the edge of a small crater. The image is from the CNSA/CLEP.
The Yutu 2 rover is near the milestone rock.
Our Space referred to the shards of rock as a "milestone." The most likely culprit is a meteorite.
The rocks stand out on a surface that has been destroyed by both micrometeorites and harsh solar radiation over billions of years. When Yutu 2 discovers large rocks, they're usually indicators of impact activity. The discovery of a set of relatively young rocks in early 2020 provided clues about the history of the moon and the composition of material excavated or ejected by impactors.
The photo was taken by the Yutu 2 moon rover. The image is from the CNSA.
Yutu 2 has been using its ground-penetrating radar to look beneath the lunar surface, collecting reflected waves to build an image of layers beneath the rover. Yutu 2 detected three distinct layers in the vicinity, suggesting that separate, large impact events had delivered the ejected material into the region.
Some people were wondering about the quality of Yutu 2's photographic gear after seeing the fuzzy image of the mystery hut. The panoramic cameras on the rover have returned a lot of impressive images from the far side of the moon.
The lunar far side was not seen until 1959 when the Soviet Union's Luna 3 craft traveled around the moon. Chang'e 4 and Yutu 2 are supported by a relay satellite beyond the moon, which facilitates communications between the spacecraft and its handler. The relay satellite uses a low-frequency astronomy instrument to collect data.
The Yutu 2 rover is seen shortly after touchdown. The image is from the CNSA.
The far side of the moon has been active for over 1,000 days. The previous record for longevity was set by the Soviet Union's robotic Lunokhod 1 rover, which was in use for 321 days.
Yutu 2 and Chang'e 4 are in their 37th lunar day, which is around 29.5 Earth days. During the two week long lunar nights, the temperature plummets as low as minus 310 degrees Fahrenheit.
The image of the "mystery hut" was taken in November of 2021. It is possible that new images will be released in the weeks following the end of lunar day 37 on December 10. Yutu 2 travels an average of 66 feet to 98 feet (20 to 30 meters) per lunar day, meaning the rover is expected to cover 260 feet to the object by lunar day 38 or 39.
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