The Moon. (Toni Faint/Getty Images)
Experts said the piece of space junk likely came from Beijing's lunar exploration program, but China denied responsibility for the rocket set to slam into the Moon.
Astronomers thought the object was a piece of a rocket that exploded in the sky seven years ago.
It is thought to be the booster for the Chang'e 5-T1, which was launched in the Chinese space agency's lunar exploration program.
The rocket is going to crash into the far side of the moon.
China's foreign ministry rejected the claim on Monday, saying that the booster in question entered the Earth's atmosphere and was completely incinerated.
Beijing scrupulously upholds the long-term sustainable of activities in outer space, spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing.
The launch of the longest crewed mission to its new space station by China last year marked a milestone in the country's quest to become a space superpower.
The second-largest economy in the world has invested billions into its military-run space program and hopes to eventually send humans to the Moon.
Agence France-Presse
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