A mysterious “moon cube” spotted by a Chinese rover on the far side of the moon has dazzled the internet. And it could take months for the rover to find out what the weird-looking object really is.
The Chinese lunar rover has captured an image of a cube-shaped object on the horizon about 80 meters (about 262 feet) away from its location, said Our Space, a state-run science outlet, which called it a “mysterious hut” in the rover’s latest travel log on Dec. 3. The post has inspired all kinds of speculation and memes, with social media users calling it an alien home, an outdoor toilet, and a COVID-19 testing station.
Although the cube is likely just some rocks, the travel log said it would take two to three lunar days, or two to three months on Earth, for the rover to take a close look at it.
So why does it take so long?
Yutu-2, or “Jade Rabbit-2,” became the first rover to land on the far side of the moon (the hemisphere that faces away from Earth) in 2019. Like many other space rovers, it moves very slowly under stringent control by scientists on Earth.
First, the rover spent more than half of its lifetime dormant. The temperature during the lunar night, which lasts about 14 Earth days, could dip to -292 degrees Fahrenheit (-180 degrees Celsius), making it too cold for the robot to operate. The device also needs to “take naps” when it becomes too hot.
ROUTE OF THE YUTU-2 ROVER IN ITS FIRST 35 LUNAR DAYS. PHOTO: OUR SPACE
The wheeled robot has a designed maximum speed of 200 meters per hour, or 5.6 centimeters per second or 0.12 miles per hour. But in reality, it does not just stride straight ahead at full speed. According to the travel logs published by Our Space, engineers have been making careful calculations for every step the rover takes.
They need to help the rover avoid the ubiquitous small craters on the lunar surface, make sure it does not slide down a slope, and guide it toward an ideal resting spot before night falls. The rover also needs to make occasional stops to conduct scientific research.
Space engineers refer to images of the lunar surface taken by a satellite probe to map out the rover’s long-term routes, while pictures captured by the rover’s own cameras are used to design the rover’s short-term movements.
Engineers build 3D models with the pictures, and work out the rover’s next steps based on the geological features of a particular location as well as the robot’s communications and energy conditions, according to Our Spacetravel logs.
Before the rover sets out, its moves are first rehearsed on the computer. Following every step, engineers would analyze data from the new location to make sure it is on the right track. The mechanism is aimed at protecting the rover from any accidents that could stop it from functioning.
Because of the complicated navigation process, the rover has not traveled too far since it arrived in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin in January 2019. By the end of September, when the rover reached the milestone of 1,000 days of operation, it had made 170 moves and covered a distance of 839 meters (2,752 feet), according to Our Space.
In short, Yutu-2 moves very, very slowly but surely.
Rovers equipped with self-driving systems are able to move faster. China’s Zhurong Mars rover, which is able to identify obstacles by itself, has traveled 1,000 meters within 100 martian days (103 Earth days), the government said.
An enhanced auto-navigation system on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover could enable it to move at 393 feet (120 meters) per hour. In comparison, the Opportunity Mars rover traveled 28 miles in its 14 years’ lifespan, or an average of about 880 feet per month.
Quelle: VICE
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LOOK: CHINESE ROVER SPOTS A "MOON CUBE," AND OPENS A NEW LUNAR MYSTERY
While almost certainly a boulder or two, the enigmatic Moon Cube is nevertheless fascinating, and could help scientist understand how to live on the Moon.
AN IMAGE HAS TANTALIZED the internet: an enigmatic cube-shaped object on the far side of the Moon.
But “strange cube” conjures up a few images: an alien Starbucks. A secret Russian Moonbase. Gene Ray’s Time Cube instantiated. A time-traveling porta-pot from a 1932 skyscraper construction site.
In November, the Chinese lunar rover Yutu-2 spotted the cube in the distance from the far side of the Moon. The rover has since been making its way toward the mysterious object, investigating its origins. And unfortunately for the overly imaginative, it’s unlikely to be aliens or something metaphysical.
As Paul Byrne, a professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, sees it, he knows exactly what it is: the more mundane confluence of rocks, light, and shadow.
“The object in that image is almost definitely, categorically, absolutely a boulder,” Byrne tells Inverse. “There's pretty much nothing else I can think it might be — my potential lack of imagination notwithstanding.”
It may not fire the imagination like an alien origin, but the boulder will help scientists better understand the history and composition of the Moon, and provide a picture of what could form other strange outcroppings on the surface of our nearest neighbor. Byrne says that better understanding the Moon could help astronauts better learn how to better “live off the land” and utilize lunar resources as part of lunar outposts.
The Moon cubes cometh — but we’ll be building them ourselves.
WHAT IS THE MYSTERIOUS MOON CUBE?
China’s robotic Yutu-2 lunar rover spotted a remarkably square-looking gray object on the horizon on its 36th lunar day, according to reporting by Space.com, which translated an entry in a rover mission diary from the Chinese language website Our Space.
Taken from around 260 feet away, the “mystery hut,” or “mystery house,” as Our Space put it, appears like a tiny cube the same color as the lunar regolith, but with a black rectangle in the center. Almost like a door … or a Kubrick-esque monolith.
Zoom on the picture, and it becomes significantly blurry, but the overall impression of something with disconcertingly square proportions remains.
But while human craftsmanship tends to result in square angles and straight lines, not all square angles and straight lines result from human, or alien, handiwork. Byrne guides Inverse through a few scenarios:
- It could be an illusion: “Why might it appear square or cubic? First, the image looks to have a pretty low resolution of features at or beyond the horizon, so it might not actually be square,” Byrne says.
- It might have just been forged that way by natural causes: Even if it is square, “lots of boulders are blocky, squarish, or cubic/cuboidal because rocks commonly develop fracture sets that result in blocks,” Byrne says, and there are lots of boulders on the Moon.
- The most likely outcome is that as the rover gets closer to the object, it will become apparent that it’s a boulder or multiple boulders that only appear square due to light, shadow, and distance. And really, that would make it one of the more minor instances of extraplanetary pareidolia, that is, seeing patterns that don’t exist.
In 1976, the Viking 1 orbiter took a photo of a rock in the Cydonia region of Mars that looked an awful lot like a face. Humans are neurologically primed to see faces, reading faces being pretty crucial for human survival, so it’s not surprising some people would see a face somewhere on Mars. It was still just rocks, light, and shadow.
“The ‘Face on Mars’ is a perfect example of pareidolia,” Byrne says, but there are other examples, including what some people say looks like Han Solo encased in carbonite on Mercury or a giant tick on Venus.
WHERE IS THE MOON CUBE?
Whatever the Moon cube might be, it’s currently about a football field away from the Yutu-2 rover, which is the first rover to explore the far side of the Moon. Both the rover and the mysterious object sit in the Von Kármán crater, a 110-mile diameter impact crater in the southern polar region of the Moon.
Meteor or comet impacts are a good way to generate and disperse boulders on the Moon without weather or water, and the Moon cube and Yutu-2 sit in a double crater — the Von Kármán crater is one of many in much, much larger South Pole-Aitken Basin, which measures nearly 1,600 miles across.
WHAT IS THE CHINESE YUTU-2 ROVER?
CNSA launched the Yutu-2 rover in December 2018 as part of China’s Chang’e 4 lunar mission. The Chang’e 4 lander made the first soft landing on the Moon’s dark side on January 3, 2019, and deployed the rover.
Yutu-2 has since traversed more than 2,700 feet of the lunar surface, using its ground-penetrating radar and spectrograph instruments to study the surface composition and deeper structure of the Moon.
Powered by solar panels, Yutu-2 powers down during the two-week-long lunar night when the dark side of the Moon faces away from the Sun. But the Chinese rover has nevertheless beat the longevity record of the Soviet Lunokhod 1 rover. The Soviet machine roved the Moon for 321 Earth days in 1971, but Yutu-2 has been going strong for more than 1,068 Earth days.
WHAT DOES THE MOON CUBE TELL US ABOUT LUNAR GEOLOGY?
Lunar boulders are interesting, Byrne says, because they tell scientists about the energies involved in the impacts that created them and give scientists access to material from deeper inside the Moon. “But for the time being, I have no reason to think that this particular boulder is any more special than any other of the billions and billions on the Moon,” he adds.
More exciting is what the Yutu-2 rover may learn on its way to examining this mystery object.
“We still have a lot to learn about the Moon scientifically: its interior structure, the level of geological activity there today, and the composition of a variety of different parts of the Moon,” Byrne says. “Anything we learn about a place we’ve only visited with humans a handful of times will be useful!”
HOW SOON WILL WE LEARN WHAT THE MYSTERIOUS MOON CUBE REALLY IS?
Yutu-2 is an impressive instrument, but it’s not built for speed. While Chinese scientists plan to investigate the Moon Cube/ “Mystery Hut,” it will likely take two to three months — with intervening periods of inactivity during the lunar night — for the rover to get to the site of the mystery.
Quelle: INVERSE
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Update: 16.12.2021
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Why will it take China's Yutu 2 moon rover so long to reach lunar 'mystery hut'?
Complex terrain and Yutu 2's reliance on solar power limit driving speed.
This zoomed-in image shows a closer look at a cube shape spotted by China's Yutu 2 rover on the far side of the moon. (Image credit: CNSA/Our Space)
China's Yutu 2 lunar rover recently spotted something intriguing on the far side of the moon, but it'll take the vehicle a few months to reach the object for a closer look.
Yutu 2 photographed a strangely cube-shaped rock last month, during the robot's 36th lunar day of activities. The rover drive team estimates that the object, which has been dubbed the "mystery hut," to be around 260 feet (80 meters) away. That doesn't sound far, but it'll take careful planning and effort by the Yutu 2 team to cover that distance safely.
Despite having a top speed of 656 feet (200 m) per hour, Yutu 2 has so far covered just 2,950 feet (900 m) or so since landing in Von Kármán crater in January 2019.
One major reason is that Yutu 2 isn't active most of the time. The solar-powered spacecraft cannot operate during the 14.5-Earth-day-long lunar night, nor for roughly 24 hours after sunrise and before sunset. Yutu 2 also stays still during lunar noon, as temperatures at that time can reach 260 degrees Fahrenheit (127 degrees Celsius).
And the complexity of route planning and execution and meeting science goals leave less time for actual driving. Phil Stooke, professor emeritus and adjunct research professor in the Department of Geography and Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at the University of Western Ontario, has followed Yutu 2's activities closely.
While Soviet Lunokhod moon rovers covered much greater distances — Lunokhod 2 traveled 23 miles (37 kilometers) across the lunar surface in 1973, for example — they did so under very different circumstances and with different science goals.
"Soviet engineers drove the Lunokhods 'live' with TV images showing the scene ahead. Their maximum drive in a single shift was 3,000 meters [9,843 feet]. But China has been much more cautious and has adopted a style of driving like that used on Mars," Stooke told Space.com.
"After a drive, the rover takes images for a full stereoscopic panorama, and the team on the ground make a topographic map showing obstacles and slopes all around the rover," Stooke said. "They analyze the map and choose a path for the next drive. This limits them to a maximum of about 8 to 10 meters [26 to 33 feet] per drive, and it all takes time."
Yutu 2 needs to avoid numerous craters that could trap the vehicle. The rover also carries science payloads, including panoramic cameras, a near-infrared imaging spectrometer and ground-penetrating radar, and frequently stops to collect data with this gear.
Requiring a relay satellite for communications — due to operating on the far side of the moon, which never faces the Earth — is another potential factor in limiting Yutu 2's speed.
And shutting down around noon is no surprise, Stooke noted. "Apollo astronauts had to land just after dawn and leave before it got too hot, with things like their rover unable to operate around lunar noon," he said. "Mars is a much more benign environment."
China's Zhurong Mars rover has already covered nearly 4,265 feet (1,300 m) since landing on the Red Planet this past May, using partially autonomous driving due to the extensive light-time delay.
On the "mystery hut" itself, Stooke has mapped Yutu 2's travels, but it is difficult to know where exactly the object is. "It is hard to be sure about any feature in these images being the 'hut,' which makes me think it is small, only about 1 meter [3 feet] across, and only looks special because it's right on the horizon."
Yutu 2 was due to complete its 37th lunar day late on Dec. 10. An update from China will reveal how much closer Yutu 2 has managed to travel to the object since the image was captured during lunar day 36.
"I think China has done a great job operating this rover for almost three years. The whole process is very difficult," Stooke said.
Yutu 2 is part of the Chang'e 4 mission which, like its name suggests, is China's fourth moon mission and the second to deliver a rover to the lunar surface. The Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 missions were orbiters, with Chang'e 3 landing on the near side of the moon with the first Yutu rover. China has also launched the Chang'e 5 T1 test mission around the moon and the Chang'e 5 moon sample return mission.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 7.01.2022
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It's just a small rock on a crater rim that they're now calling "jade rabbit" for its appearance.
Cross 1000 meters to see you, the little house everyone is paying attention to is here "Jade Rabbit No. 2 Driving Diary"
Last time in our diary, we mentioned that Yutu 2 had discovered the "Mysterious Hut" in Skyrim, which immediately attracted widespread attention from all over the world. Netizens had their brains open and they gave their own guesses, "Guanghan Palace" and "Triumphal Arch". ""Alien base"...There are different opinions, and the pilots, like everyone else, can't wait to know the final answer. So when Yutu 2 woke up again, everyone immediately embarked on an expedition to the north.
picture
Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the driving route of Yutu No. 2
"swagger"
Northbound Expedition
In order to uncover the veil of the "mysterious house" as soon as possible, the drivers worked hard before Yutu awakened. They racked their brains to study how to make Yutu move in place as quickly as possible under the premise of meeting safety. Finally, they comprehensively analyzed energy and heat. After controlling, moving performance, measurement and control conditions and other factors, combined with the uneven terrain on the back of the moon, the drivers designed a set of "strutting" and efficient mobile strategies.
First of all, raise the pitch angle slightly when sensing imaging. The "head up" posture can extend the maximum distance of sensing imaging from more than ten meters to more than 30 meters, and at the same time, it avoids the "head up" caused by the field of view. The expansion of the exposure area can also increase the moving distance of each step if the terrain and the perceived image allow it. Not only can you see far, but also have to go for a long time. With the platform's thermal control permitting, the drivers appropriately postpone the lunar noon entry or leave the lunar noon earlier, compress the lunch break, and achieve the purpose of squeezing one step more throughout the day. In this three-pronged approach, the movement efficiency of Yutu 2 has been significantly improved.
Although there is a complete northward expedition plan, the first challenge waiting for Yutu 2 is the unfavorable situation of the double-teaming of Sankeng "Pin-shaped". There is a pit in the east, west, and north directions of Yutu-2, but fortunately there is still a little gap between the pit and the pit. The pilots control the Yutu-2 to start and detour to the northeast. In areas with higher slopes, I turned to the northwest and continued to march along the contour line, and walked a distance of nearly 9 meters in two light steps, which is a significant improvement over the previous travel distance of no more than 7 meters. The strategy of "sweeping" Initial results have been achieved.
Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the swagger route
Since then, the cooperation between Yutu 2 and the pilots has gradually improved. The combination of "swaggering" and "precision control" has controlled the Yutu 2 to march northward of the moon-back striding meteor. At 9 meters, 11 meters, and 12 meters, Yutu 2 constantly refreshed its own single-step mileage record. In addition to the appropriate postponement of entering lunar noon in the morning of the moon and day, the Yutu 2 achieved a 4-step movement and finally harvested walking in the morning of the moon and day. With a good score of 39 meters, it has achieved a step-by-step approach to the "mysterious house"!
In the afternoon of the moon and day, the drivers controlled the Yutu 2 to pass through two impact craters in the target direction, and then searched for a comfortable and safe sleeping area in time. Although there are many dormant points in a loose range, there are only a handful of dormant points that meet the strict range standard. The drivers chose a strict dormant area with a very small range. There was also a small pit almost as wide as the vehicle body on the only way. Yutu 2 had to cross the impact crater accurately and park in a narrow and narrow pit. Can sleep in the area. It was another five-star test, but the pilots had enough confidence in their skilled and exquisite technology. To ensure the safety of Yutu during the dormant period, they started a wave of operations again, and finally successfully completed the 37th month of the northward journey. For all the missions of the expedition, it moved 59.7 meters in 6 steps, and the straight-line distance from the "mysterious house" was only more than 30 meters when it was dormant. Uncovering the mystery is just around the corner.
Demystifying the "Shack"
During the moonlit night, the drivers were extremely excited. According to the current moving speed, Yutu 2 will usher in the third anniversary of its work in the next month. At the same time, the mileage will exceed the 1,000-meter mark. It is also possible to explore the "mysterious house" After all, these suspense are intertwined, so that the drivers are gearing up, living like a year, and looking forward to the coming moon and day.
On December 27, 2021, Yutu 2 awakened to usher in the 38th day of work. The goal is to continue northward. First, there are 3 moves of the meteor in stride, 7 meters, 9 meters, and 10 meters. The more the steps are spanned, the total mileage has reached 992.3 meters. At this time, there is only about 10 meters away from the "mysterious house". Finally, the "mystery" can be revealed. The mystery of the "hut" was over, and the drivers immediately arranged for the panoramic camera to perform color imaging, and finally revealed its true identity!
Figure 4 Impact crater and "mysterious cabin"
The "mysterious hut" that was as tall as the Arc de Triomphe when it was far in the sky turned out to be very small when approached. The drivers were a little disappointed. Just as everyone was lost, a driver stared at the enlarged picture and covered his mouth and exclaimed: "Gosh! This is... Yutu!"
Abbildung 4 Einschlagskrater und „mysteriöse Kabine“
Als es hoch am Himmel stand, stellte sich die "mysteriöse Kabine" in der Höhe des Arc de Triomphe bei Annäherung als sehr klein heraus. Die Fahrer waren ein wenig enttäuscht. Als sich alle verirrten, starrte ein Fahrer auf das vergrößerte Bild und bedeckte seinen Mund und rief: "Meine Güte! Das ist... Yutu!"
Figure 5 "Jade Rabbit" see "Jade Rabbit"
Hearing his voice, everyone gathered around again. I saw a lifelike rabbit greeted the eyes, the scattered stones in front of "Jade Rabbit" looked like a carrot, and the round stone beads behind "Jade Rabbit" looked like the product of "Jade Rabbit" after meal. The scene in front of me was like a rabbit about to eat, and the picture was so witty that I couldn't help but laugh. Is this well-behaved "rabbit" a foreigner or a resident of Moonback? How many years has it been waiting here? Was the fantasy of the "mysterious house" on the horizon just its calling? Is all this fate or coincidence?
In anticipation and doubt, the pilots sighed with the mystery of the universe, adjusted their work plan more quickly, and continued to advance to a high place in the afternoon of the moon and day, singing towards the "Jade Rabbit". At noon on January 6, 2022, the drivers started the day and afternoon tasks of the month. After more than ten hours of work, everyone worked tirelessly. Near midnight, Yutu’s cumulative mileage finally exceeded the 1,000-meter mark. Reached 1003.9 meters!
On the upcoming January 11, 2022, it is the third anniversary of the completion of the Chang'e 4 lander and Yutu 2’s mutual shooting and the complete success of the mission. The latest record-breaking mileage is undoubtedly the most important thing for this project. Good gift. In the past three years, the pilots have controlled the Chang'e-4 lander, patrol device, and relay satellite to complete one arduous task after another, achieving amazing engineering goals, past challenges and joy after victory. In the hearts of the drivers, everyone blessed each other with relief while ridiculing each other's tiredness. The sense of gain and happiness that they had dedicated to a great career was their common feeling at this time.
When it wakes up from sleep next time, Yutu 2 will also detect the "Jade Rabbit" at close range and perceive the large impact crater behind it. We look forward to the dialogue between Yutu 2 and "Yutu" and use their secret words to discover more unknowns. story.
Abbildung 5 "Jade Rabbit" siehe "Jade Rabbit"
Seine Stimme hörend, versammelten sich alle wieder um sich. Ich sah ein lebensechtes Kaninchen, das die Augen begrüßte, die verstreuten Steine vor "Jade Rabbit" sahen aus wie eine Karotte und die runden Steinperlen hinter "Jade Rabbit" sahen aus wie das Produkt von "Jade Rabbit" nach dem Essen. Die Szene vor mir war wie ein Kaninchen, das gerade isst, und das Bild war so witzig, dass ich nicht anders konnte, als zu lachen. Ist dieses gut erzogene "Kaninchen" ein Ausländer oder ein Bewohner von Moonback? Wie viele Jahre hat es hier gewartet? War die Fantasie vom "mysteriösen Haus" am Horizont nur ihre Berufung? Ist das alles Schicksal oder Zufall?
Erwartungsvoll und fragend seufzten die Piloten mit dem Mysterium des Universums, passten ihren Arbeitsplan schneller an und rückten am Nachmittag des Mondes und Tages weiter zu einem hohen Ort vor und marschierten laut singend auf das "Jade Rabbit" zu. Am 6. Januar 2022 um 12 Uhr mittags starteten die Fahrer mit den Tages- und Nachmittagsaufgaben des Monats. Nach mehr als zehn Stunden Arbeit arbeiteten alle unermüdlich. Gegen Mitternacht überschritt Yutus kumulierte Laufleistung endlich die 1.000-Meter-Marke und erreichte 1003,9 Meter!
Am kommenden 11. Januar 2022 jährt sich der dritte Jahrestag der Fertigstellung des Landers Chang'e 4 und des gemeinsamen Schießens von Yutu 2 und des vollen Erfolgs der Mission Projekt Gutes Geschenk. In den letzten drei Jahren haben die Piloten den Chang'e-4-Lander, das Patrouillengerät und den Relaissatelliten gesteuert, um eine mühsame Aufgabe nach der anderen zu erfüllen und erstaunliche technische Ziele, vergangene Herausforderungen und Freude nach dem Sieg zu erreichen , alle segneten sich mit Erleichterung und machten sich gegenseitig über ihre Müdigkeit lustig.Das Gefühl des Gewinns und des Glücks, das sie einer großen Karriere gewidmet hatten, war ihr gemeinsames Gefühl in dieser Zeit.
Wenn es das nächste Mal aus dem Schlaf erwacht, wird Yutu 2 auch "Jade Rabbit" aus nächster Nähe entdecken und den großen Einschlagskrater dahinter wahrnehmen. Wir freuen uns auf den Dialog zwischen Yutu 2 und "Yutu" und nutzen ihre geheimen Worte zum Entdecken mehr Unbekannte Geschichte.
Quelle: ourspace0424
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Update: 12.01.2022
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Im Dezember 2021 meldete sich die Redaktion von TV hr maintower bei unserer UFO-Meldestelle Betreff dem Moon Cube welcher der chinesische Mond Rover Yutu2 scheinbar in weiter Entfernung wegen Zoom-Unschärfe entdeckte. Über Skype wurde dann ein Statement von Seiten der CENAP-UFO-Meldestelle gedreht in welcher wir damals schon äußerten es sich mit großer Wahrscheinlichkeit nur um "einen langweiligen Mondfelsen" handele. Dies wurde am 10.Dezember dann aufgezeichnet und auch gesendet. Dies wurde nun überarbeitet von der maintower Redaktion nach dem dieser Tage klarere Aufnahmen von dem Moon Cube an die Öffentlichkeit kamen und unsere Vermutung Betreff Mondfelsen bestätigt wurde. Und so wurde der Moon Cube von der Spekulation zum realen Mondfelsen durch kurzen Beitrag am 10.01.2022 in hr:
Quelle: hr maintower