China will launch an artificial moon from now until 2020. Here is what it will do

Chinese scientists plan to install an artificial moon in the sky by 2020 to light the streets of the city at dusk.

What is happening: Scientists hope to be able to hang the artificial moon over Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, reports the China Daily.

• The moon, which would actually be only a brilliant satellite, will reflect the sunlight on the Earth.

• Scientists hope that light will replace streetlights.

• In fact, scientists think it will be eight times brighter than the real moon.

• Wu Chunfeng, head of the Science Society in the new Tian Fu region, told China Daily that his appearance would not be brighter than the normal moon.

• "The expected brightness, in the eyes of humans, is about one-fifth of normal street lights."

Back to back: China is not alone. Russia tried to launch an orbital mirror in the 1990s. However, they abandoned the project after the mirror was not deployed and cremated on its way, reported Time magazine.

Similarly, Rocket Lab in the United States launched an artificial star. However, the star would have added to the artificial light pollution and overcrowding of Earth's orbit, reports the New York Times.