Chinese Lunar Rover Confirms 'Mystery Hut' is Just a Rock
upstart writes:
Chinese Lunar Rover Confirms 'Mystery Hut' Is Just a Rock - ExtremeTech:
China made history in 2018 when it landed the Chang'e 4 mission on the lunar surface. The lander deployed a plucky little rover known as Yutu-2, which is still trundling around the far side of the moon-a first for humanity. Late last year, the rover spotted something unusual in the distance: a small square object dubbed the "mystery hut." The rover approached to get a closer look, and sure enough, it's a rock. It has a better name now, though. Say hello to the Jade Rabbit.
The bizarre object appeared on a photo from Yutu-2 in November 2021. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said it would spend the next several lunar days getting closer to the object to take a closer look. So why are we only hearing about this now? A lunar day is 29.5 earth days, so the reveal is right on time.
Yutu-2 has now traveled just over a thousand meters (3,280 feet). From its vantage a few hundred meters away in November, the mystery hut looked like a small, squat building with a flat roof. The dark spot in the middle gave it the look of a shelter of some sort.
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