The other side of the Moon has never been directly observed by humans, as it is always facing away from Earth. However, with the help of spacecraft and robotic explorers that have used powerful instruments to map the Moon’s surface, scientists have been able to create a detailed map of both the near and far sides of the Moon.
The far side of the moon is different from the near side in several ways. It has more craters, fewer areas of smooth lunar mare, and a higher concentration of mass within its crust. The far side of the moon has only been photographed from orbit, as no human astronauts have landed on the far side.
However, China’s Chang’e-4 mission is currently exploring the far side of the Moon and is the only spacecraft to ever safely land on the far side.
What is cube on moon that China found?
The cube on the moon found by China was part of a robotic lunar rover mission by the Chinese space agency, China National Space Administration (CNSA). The cube, also referred to as the “Jade Rabbit 2” lunar rover, was launched in December of 2013 as part of a larger mission called the Chang’e 3.
This mission marked the first soft landing of an object on the Moon since 1976, when two Soviet Union Luna probes touched the lunar surface.
The cube, or rover, is roughly 1. 5 meters (4. 9 feet) long and 0. 75 meters (2. 5 feet) wide. It is solar powered and equipped with a Lunar Penetrating Radar and a Panoramic Camera. The rover was deployed by the lander, called the Chang’e 3, which descended onto the lunar surface on December 14, 2013.
Since then, the cube has rolled over 280 meters on the lunar surface, collecting data and photos. It is the first robotic rover designed to operate on the Moon since the Soviet Union’s Lunokhod-2 rover in 1973.
After the successful completion of the Chang’e 3 mission, the Jade Rabbit 2 is now an important part of human history as the first man-made creation to travel to the Moon and make its mark.
What did China put on the moon?
In January 2019, China became the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon, when its Chang’e 4 mission touched down in the South Pole–Aitken basin. The Chang’e 4 spacecraft itself carries a number of experiments, including a low-frequency radio spectrometer for astrophysical observations, and an instrument for measuring the lunar surface’s varying temperature over time and during the lunar night.
The Chang’e 4 mission also brought with it a 6. 6-pound biomission called Yutu 2 —Chinese for ‘’Jade Rabbit,’’ the mythological pet of the moon goddess Chang’e — which is tasked with investigating the geological features and structure of the moon’s surface.
In addition to those two experiments, the Chang’e 4 mission placed a small container containing silkworm eggs on the moon. The unborn worms are meant to hatch and survive in the low-pressure, low-gravity environment to become the first creatures to ever live on the moon.
The Chang’e 4 mission also features a miniature biosphere experiment which contains potato seeds, floury rock, fruit fly eggs and some yeast, contained in a sealed tin and meant to investigate whether a usable food chain could exist on the moon’s surface.
Is there a hidden side of the moon?
The “dark side of the moon” is a phrase popularized by Pink Floyd, but the moon actually has no dark side. The moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning that the same side of the moon always faces us and the same side never sees the sun.
This side of the moon is referred to as the “near” or “nearside” of the moon. In contrast, the opposite side of the moon is referred to as the “far side” or “farside” of the moon. Though it can never be seen from Earth, the farside is just as brightly lit by the sun as the nearside.
The farside is said to have a unique landscape that is much different from the nearside, due to its close proximity to the Earth’s gravitational field. This means that the farside is more heavily bombarded with meteorites and other debris than the nearside, giving it a much different appearance.
In 1959, the Soviet Luna 3 mission made the first photographs of the farside of the moon, which revealed its craters and other features. Due to advances in technology, the far side is now well-mapped and well-studied, demystifying the so-called “dark side” of the moon.
What was recently found on the moon?
On October 15th, 2020, the Chang’e 5 mission landed on the moon and launched the first lunar sample return mission since 1976. This mission, run by the China National Space Administration, gathered about two kilograms of rocks and soil to bring back to Earth for study.
The samples are thought to contain minerals, rocks, and soil that could be used to better understand the moon’s composition and formation history. Additionally, during the mission, multiple instruments were deployed to the moon’s surface to measure things like lunar environment capabilities, the substances that make up the lunar surface, and the moon’s internal structure.
Analysis of the samples returned by Chang’e 5 and the data gathered by the instruments have the potential to answer very important questions about the moon and its history. This data could also contribute to future explorations of space and help scientists study the materials available on other planets and moons.
Would people in China see the same phase of the moon that we would?
Yes, people in China would see the same phase of the moon that we would. This is because when we look up at the night sky, we all see the same moon, no matter where in the world we are. The moon only appears to change in shape from one night to the next due to the way that its shape is illuminated by the sun, which is constant across the globe.
So people in China would see the same phases of the moon as we do, but due to the time difference, the phases might appear to be in different positions in the sky.
Has the other side of the Moon been photographed?
Yes, the other side of the Moon has been photographed by several different spacecrafts and imaging systems, including those sent by NASA. Throughout history, the far side of the Moon has been of particular interest to scientists and celestial observers.
The first photograph of the far side of the Moon was taken by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959. Since then, numerous photos of the far side of the Moon have been taken from Earth-based telescopes and from spacecrafts like NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Orbiter series.
Many of these photos have been compiled into stunning, detailed maps of the far side of the Moon for all to appreciate.
Are there any pictures from the dark side of the Moon?
Yes, there have been pictures taken of the dark side of the Moon. The first pictures were taken by Soviet spacecraft, including Luna 3 in 1959, and Luna 9 in 1966. The spacecraft photographed one hemisphere of the Moon’s far side, with a resolution of about 200 kilometers.
In 2008, Japan’s Kaguya spacecraft took more detailed photographs of the far side with resolutions of 30 meters (98 feet) per pixel. In 2010 and 2011, China’s Chang’e 2 and Chang’e 3 probes sent back detailed photos of the far side with resolutions of 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet).
As of 2019, the highest resolution images taken of the far side of the Moon were part of the Google Lunar X Prize, which were taken by TeamIndus.
