A Chinese lunar rover has seen something very strange on the moon, and scientists cannot agree to what it is. An object in the form of a cube-shaped mystery looks in the distance, and is described as a “cottage” according to our Chinese space speaking site.
Yutu-2 rover China explores the far side of the month – that is, the moon side facing away from the earth. Sometimes people call this dark side of the moon, but it’s not really technically because this side gets sunlight, it’s not seen by us.
The far side of the month is relatively not yet explored, because most moon missions visit close side because it is easier to see. But the Chinese Space Agency, Chinese Space Administration, has visited the side of this month with Chang’e 4 mission which is the first spacecraft that landed there in 2019.
Little Yutu-2 Rover is part of the Chang’e 4 mission and it rolls onto the surface of the month a few days after the landing. Since then, it has slowly explored the crater area of Von Kármán and has made several strange findings. That includes what first appeared as a lump like a gel, but which turned out to be rock (via space.com). The “cottage” of this cube might be found the most strange.
As it looks strange when the cube, maybe not the work of small green men. There are several things to remember when viewing images like this: First, a low resolution camera as mounted on Yutu-2 Rover can highlight certain features and simplify the shape. Objects may or may not be really a cube when it looks close by. The second factor is that we only see this mystery from one image, from one angle, so it can look very different if photographed from a different look.
That said, it could be that it was indeed a cube. The most likely explanation for is, according to Space reporters Andrew Jones who first reported anomalies in the English-speaking press, was that it could be a large stone thrown with the previous impact.
We know that the moon is often bombarded by asteroids or comets throughout its history, and when this hit the moon leaving the impact of the crater. This crate is seen throughout the month, in fact, helps give a different appearance. When an asteroid or comet crashes it at that month at a great speed, which can lift the pieces of stone which then falls back to the surface. It is most likely what the object is strange.
You might be wondering why the moon has so many crater impacts compared to the earth. In fact, the earth is far more likely to be hit by comets or asteroids than the moon because it is far greater – and indeed the earth has had many of these impacts on its long life. But according to NASA, the crater is far more visible on the moon because it does not have a tectonic atmosphere or a plate. The Earth’s atmosphere leads to stones eroded from time to time, so the impact cratis gradually mashed for thousands of years. And tectonic plates work to recycle stones on earth, get rid of old rocks that will show evidence of impact.
When the moon does not have an atmosphere or an active interior tectonic, once the clash crater has been formed, still looks for a very long time – hence why the moon looks at what it does.