Scientists have created a new, high-definition map of the moon using data from China’s recent travels to the moon.
The detailed map was created using data from the primary Chinese Moon Exploration Project Collected over the past 15 years and provided in addition to high quality data from international research missions from the United States, Japan and India.
It reveals geographical layers, structural features and chronology The moonIt contains 12,341 archeological pits, 81 embankment basins, 17 types of rocks and 14 types of structures.
Related: Stunning images of the moon captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
“The map” reflects the evolution of the lunar surface under ignition processes, catastrophic impacts and volcanic activity, “the research team wrote in a paper approved for publication in the journal. Science Bulletin (Opens in new tab).
The map uses the Mollweide projection to create an elliptical view of the moon; China also provided stereoscopic predictions centering on the North and South Poles separately. Researchers can use this new work to further map lunar geography and select landing sites for future missions.
The full map is available from the Chinese Academy of Sciences National Center for Space Science (Opens in new tab).
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