The Yutu 2 rover spied a cube-shaped object on the Moon in December of 2021. Speculations ran rampant. The object was nicknamed the "mystery hut" by the China National Space Administration.
The true nature of this object was revealed today by Yutu's cameras. It is just a rock. Not very cube-shaped either.
The Yutu rover has seen a mystery rock. The credit is from the CNSA.
Several planetary geologists and astronomer had predicted that the object was a bright blocky boulder sitting on the edge of a crater rim. Rocks and more rocks on a cratered lunar surface were not shown in the Orbital images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The perceived cube shape might have been just a view of a distant object.
It doesn't mean it's not interesting. An odd-shaped, bright chunk of rock sitting on the edge of a crater is likely to have an interesting history.
The Chang'e 4 lander and the mystery hut can be seen in the distance from the crater. Andrew Jones, a space journalist, may have verified the location of the object. The image was taken by NASA/ GSFC/ Arizona State University. EarthSky has image notation.
Andrew Jones has been following China's space endeavors closely.
OurSpace publishes a journal of the rover's travels called "Yutu No. 2 Driving Diary". The site explained how the rover traveled 80 meters to take a better picture of the hut.
The mysterious hut as tall as the Arc de Triomphe turned out to be very small when approached. The drivers were a little disappointed. The driver covered his mouth as he stared at the enlarged picture. This is... Yutu!
The Yutu 2 rover had a view of the mysterious hut on the Moon. The credit is from the CNSA.
The site says that the rock is named Jade Rabbit since it looks like a rabbit about to eat, and the picture was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh. Is this animal a foreigner or a resident of Moonback? How long has it been here? Was the fantasy of the mysterious house just what it was? Is it coincidence or fate?
Since landing in Von Krmn crater on the far side of the moon, Yutu has been slowly moving across the lunar surface. The Our Space site states that Yutu reached 1003.9 meters by the time it reached the rock, which was January 6, 2022.
The Yutu lunar rover saw a view of a mystery rock on the edge of the crater. The credit is from the CNSA.
