In August, Chinese lunar rover Yutu-2 discovered something strange on the far side of the Moon: a mysterious substance that the Chinese space agency referred to as \"gel-like\" and \"colored\".<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
And now, China's Lunar Exploration Program has released a new photo of the substance - shedding more light on what the strange substance could possibly be.<\/p>\n
According to experts, it's most likely what scientists initially hypothesized: dark glass formed as a result of an impact - the same stuff American astronauts found during the Apollo 17 mission, Space.com reports.<\/p>\n
(CNSA\/CLEP)<\/p>\n
High velocity meteor impacts are able to pressurize minerals into shiny glass that can end up refracting light in surprising ways.<\/p>\n
\"I think the most reliable information here is that the material is relatively dark,\" Dan Moriarty, NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow at the Goddard Space Flight Center told Space.com.<\/p>\n
\"It appears to have brighter material embedded within the larger, darker regions, although there is a chance that is light glinting off a smooth surface.\"<\/p>\n
High-contrast view of the substance. (CNSA\/CLEP\/NASA\/GSFC\/Dan Moriarty via Space.com)<\/p>\n
Previously, Yutu-2 struggled to get a closer look since the strange object was at the bottom of a crater.<\/p>\n
The lander is about to wake up from its two week long, lunar night cycle slumber. Perhaps then, we'll be getting more answers.<\/p>\n
This article was originally published by Futurism. Read the original article.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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China Releases a New Photo of The Mystery Substance They Found on The Moon - ScienceAlert<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In August, Chinese lunar rover Yutu-2 discovered something strange on the far side of the Moon: a mysterious substance that the Chinese space agency referred to as \"gel-like\" and \"colored\". And now, China's Lunar Exploration Program has released a new photo of the substance - shedding more light on what the strange substance could possibly be Continue reading