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Chinahas revealed the most detailed atlas ofthe moonever made . The high - resolution geological mathematical function is the first major update of lunar information since NASA ’s Apollo platform in the 1960s and 1970s .
The atlas , which took around 100 researcher more than a X to complete , bewitch the lunar surface in exquisite particular , show 14 family of social organization , 17 John Rock type , 81 impact washbowl and 12,341 Crater .
A detail of a geological map of the moon released by Chinese scientists in 2022. An even more detailed moon ‘atlas’ is now available, revealing more than 12,000 lunar structures.
Researchers begin the mapping project in 2012 with the intent of making it easier to select landing site and resource location forChina ’s succeeding moon mission . The scientists who made the atlas , which is available in both Formosan and English , say that it will be useful for other countries too .
" The geologic atlas of the moon is of great implication for learn theevolution of the moon , take the site for a future lunar inquiry place and utilizing lunar resource , " co - lead researcherOuyang Ziyuan , a inquiry prof at the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , told the state word means Xinhua . " It can also help us well understand the Earth and other planet in thesolar organisation , such asMars . "
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The researchers make the atlas using data point from the Chang’e-1 mission , an uncrewed spacecraft that scanned the lunar airfoil from cranial orbit between 2007 and 2009 . More recent observation , taken from the moon ’s airfoil by the Chang’e-3 and Chang’e-4 lunar rover in 2013 and 2019 respectively , confirmed the observations taken from orbit .
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The researchers also hybridize - referenced their data with information from India ’s Chandrayaan-1 probe andNASA ’s GRAIL and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter missions .
The release of this atlas comes during a period of growing ambitiousness for China ’s place programs . China has latterly land rovers on the moon and Mars and complete expression of theTiangong place stationin 2022 . It is also leading expression movement of an International Lunar Research Station , which is slated for completion by 2030 .
The China National Space Administration , China ’s space agency , also launched adark matterprobe , an X - ray telescope to contemplate neutron whizz andblack holes , and a quantum communications satellite .
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