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posted by janrinok on Monday September 02 2019, @02:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the is-that-it's-backside? dept.

China's Chang'e-4 lunar rover has discovered an unusually colored, "gel-like" substance during its exploration activities on the far side of the moon.

The mission's rover, Yutu-2, stumbled on that surprise during lunar day 8. The discovery prompted scientists on the mission to postpone other driving plans for the rover, and instead focus its instruments on trying to figure out what the strange material is.

[...] So far, mission scientists haven't offered any indication as to the nature of the colored substance and have said only that it is "gel-like" and has an "unusual color." One possible explanation, outside researchers suggested, is that the substance is melt glass created from meteorites striking the surface of the moon.

Yutu-2's discovery isn't scientists' first lunar surprise, however. Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Harrison Schmitt discovered orange-colored soil near the mission's Taurus-Littrow landing site in 1972, prompting excitement from both Schmitt and his moonwalk colleague, Gene Cernan. Lunar geologists eventually concluded that the orange soil was created during an explosive volcanic eruption 3.64 billion years ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/china-s-lunar-rover-has-found-something-weird-moon-s-ncna1048416?cid=public-rss_20190831


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @03:03PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @03:03PM (#888843)

    Probably just some frozen xenomorph jizz.

  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday September 02 2019, @03:13PM (2 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Monday September 02 2019, @03:13PM (#888846) Journal

    Is Chang'e-4 receptive?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @04:07PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @04:07PM (#888865)

      A goddess is receptive if and when she wants to be.

    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday September 02 2019, @07:51PM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Monday September 02 2019, @07:51PM (#888938) Journal

      Well, depending on the tones "Chang-e" could mean "Long hungry," so...possibly?

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.