Chang’e-4 Lunar Probe Registered The Lowest Temperature On The Dark Side Of The Moon Ever
Temperatures on the dark side of the moon, at night, turned out to be colder than expected, the Chinese National Space Agency reported. The Chang’e-4 lunar probe, which descended into the Von Karman crater on January 3rd, detected sub-zero temperatures of minus 310 degrees Fahrenheit (about -190 degrees Celsius).
“If you are in a part of the Moon where it is getting dark, you will notice that a lunar night has a duration of 14 terrestrial days, meaning that that part of the Moon would be kept in darkness for two weeks,” explained the staff of the Caribbean Astronomy Society in a written statement.
The Chinese scientists indicated that the synchronization of the Moon’s rotation with its translation movement, as the natural satellite orbits around our planet, is what causes the Moon always to show the same side towards the Earth.
Chang’e-4 Lunar Probe Registered The Lowest Temperature On The Dark Side Of The Moon Ever
“That is because the rotation of the Moon is slow, since it takes 28 days to complete a rotation on its axis, the same time it takes to make a turn around the Earth, and that is why we always see the same side,” the scientists added.
The Caribbean Astronomy Society experts also explained that “extreme temperatures are experienced on the dark side of the Moon. In areas where it is daytime on the Moon, high temperatures of up to 260 degrees Fahrenheit (127 degrees Celsius) are recorded, while at night the cold is extreme, and the new findings reveal that the temperature exceeds 300 degrees Fahrenheit below zero”.
Finally, the Chinese scientists detailed that between Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th, the Sun began to illuminate again the area where the Chang’e-4 lunar prober and the Yutu-2 rover are located, so, in addition to continuing with several experiments, they anticipate that, during the next few days, new images of the dark side of the Moon would be received.
Vadim is a passionate writer on various topics but especially on stuff related to health, technology, and science. Therefore, for Great Lakes Ledger, Vadim will cover health and Sci&Tech news.
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