Panorama of the far side of the Moon by the Chinese Lunar Lander

On January 10, 2019, the China National Space Agency unveiled the panoramic image of the far side of the Moon taken by the Chang’e 4 Lunar Lander.

Chang’e 4 has landed on the far side of the Moon on January 3. It was a feat no nation or space agency (including NASA) has accomplished until now.

Panorama of the far side of the moon (click to see the full-size image). You can also see the rover Yutu-2 in the panoramic photo, complete with the tire tracks left behind by the adventuring robot.

Li Chunlai, the Deputy Director of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences says: “There are few gravels on the ground, meaning that the age of the place exposed here is rather ancient, and it is possible that some matters from the deep are cast here. We will conduct further studies on it.”

“The landing point of the Chang’e 4 probe is just in the middle of some small craters, equivalent to an altitude of about minus 5.935 meters (minus 19.47 feet).”

“The diameter of each crater is about 20 meters (65.61 feet), so it’s quite breathtaking.”

China National Space Agency’s Chang’e 4 lunar rover took panoramic photos of its landing site, the Von Karman Crater, located in the Aitken Basin, in the South Pole region on the far side of the Moon. Chang’e 4 lunar mission, the lander and the rover Yutu-2, landed in the crater on 3 January 2019, at 02:26 UTC (10:26 Beijing time). Communications with Earth are provided by the relay satellite Queqiao.

First selfie of Chang'e 4 from the far side of the moon

Sources

“See the Far Side of the Moon in This Amazing Panorama from China’s Chang’e 4 Lander” on Space.com

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M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer and a science enthusiast. I was graduated from the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Computer Engineering. In the past, I worked at the Istanbul Technical University Science Center as a science instructor. I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. I am also an animal lover! I take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

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