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The Chinese lunar rover Yutu-2 has returned many images of the "mysterious colored substance" discovered in a small crater on the dark side of the moon, which has captivated the scientific community since July.
The team behind China's Chang'e-4 mission, which operates the Yutu-2 rover, claimed responsibility for "Gel-like" materials "The shape and the color are very different from the surrounding lunar soil" after the second passage of Yutu-2 by the crater in August (the first examination was considered unsatisfactory because there were too many shadows in the images).
The latest images were taken by the rover's obstacle avoidance camera as she carefully approached the crater two meters wide, source of the unusual substance.
The red and green hues of the image result from the instrument used, a Visible and Near Infrared Spectrometer (VNIS), which detects light when it is scattered or reflected by materials to reveal their chemical composition , as opposed to color. emanating from the substance itself.
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Although the second visit took place in August, the results were published only this week.
Although it's too early to say what exactly is the substance, researchers such as Clive Neal, a lunar scientist from the University of Notre Dame, speculate that the substance could be fragments of minerals stuck together to form shiny black glass as a result of high speed. impacts on the lunar surface, which would be logical, since the substance is located in a crater.
Until now, Yutu-2 has traveled 285 meters (934 feet) since landing on the other side of the moon on Jan. 2. The Chinese mission completed its ninth lunar day on September 5th. Lunar Day 10 will begin around September 22 for Yutu-2 and the next day for the LG. A lunar day lasts about two weeks.
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