China releases a super-clear image of the Moon taken by Chang’e 5 probe

Enlarge / This panoramic image shows the Chang'e 5 lander and the lunar landscape. (credit: CNSA)

Less than a day after its Chang'e 5 probe made a soft landing on the Moon, the China National Space Administration has released both a short video showing the spacecraft's descent to the surface as well as a high-definition image of the lunar landscape.

The panoramic surface image, highlighting the Oceanus Procellarum region where the spacecraft landed, is especially jaw-dropping. It shows the lander and one of its legs in the foreground, with the lunar surface stretching off to the horizon. This zoomable image, which measures 15,000*7,947 pixels, provides incredible detail about small rocks near the lander, as well as the indentation made by the landing leg in the Moon's surface.

The sped-up video of the descent clearly shows the Chang'e 5 lander undergoing deceleration, reorienting itself, avoiding hazards, and then hovering before coming in for a final landing.

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