The Chinese Lunar probe and rover that recently made its way to the Moon has discovered a new ‘Milestone’ rock that stands out in the Far Side of the Moon, also known as the unseen and dark part.
The Yutu 2 rover that came from the latest mission of the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) found a strange-looking rock, which has a sharp surface that sticks out and was formed by meteor impacts. Researchers were baffled by the ‘Milestone’ rock because of its unusual shape, which the rover has discovered on its 14-day lunar night experience.
Science fiction stories always believe that the dark or Far Side of the Moon holds countless secrets and marvels which are yet to be explored and known by the human race.
However, several expeditions were made, including the deployment of rovers which shows that it is only a region where the Sun does not shine and is still the Lunar surface.
China’s Yutu 2 Discovers the Milestone Rock
According to the Daily Mail, the Yutu 2 rover is to analyze various chemical substances that are different from the Moon and the Earth, but has now changed perspective and discovered the rock. The scientists behind have used the rover to study the rock and understand its origins, especially after forming the slanted and pointed surface.
Lunar nights are extremely dangerous because of the sub-zero freezing temperature at -310 degrees Fahrenheit that can potentially damage the mechanisms and wirings of the rover, hence the hibernation. After the sleep, the Yutu 2 has continued to explore the far side, which led to its discovery of the mesmerizing rock.
Researchers believe that the Milestone rock was not originally from the Moon, rather, was created by dangerous meteor showers and crashes that led to the formation of the pointy object considered as a stalagmite. The Moon’s mysteries continue to unravel and have not stopped in the initial missions to the lunar surface that already studied it.
China Chang’e 4’s Yutu 2 Rover
According to the Space website, Yutu 2 was brought to the Lunar surface by its spacecraft and lander, the Chang’e 4 last January 2019, and has been posted to study the Moon since then.
The long-running mission of the Chinese space agency has continued to research the Far Side of the Moon and the mysteries that surround it, with the Milestone rock as one.
NASA researchers said that this was a normal occurrence in space, as extreme and tough situations tend to change the appearance, shape, and matter of the object.
Moreover, the intense cold and rough temperatures have a massive impact on the rock formations on the Moon, which are also paired with several crashes of space rocks on it.
The CNSA’s Yutu 2 rover has already traveled 2,060 feet on the Lunar surface for its research and discovery since its 2019 landing, marking its 2nd anniversary on the Moon at the start of this year.
Originally published at Tech times