BEIJING: The world’s first complete high-definition geological atlas of the moon, released by China, will provide basic map data for future lunar research and exploration.
The atlas set, available in both Chinese and English, includes the Geological Atlas of the Lunar Globe and the Map Quadrangles of the Geological Atlas of the Moon, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Geochemistry said.
“The geological atlas of the moon is of great significance for studying the evolution of the moon, selecting the site for a future lunar research station and utilizing lunar resources,” said Ouyang Ziyuan, a CAS academician and lunar scientist.”It can also help us better understand the Earth and other planets in the solar system, such as Mars.
Liu Jianzhong, a senior researcher at the institute, said:”The world has witnessed significant progress in the field of lunar exploration and scientific research over the past decades, which has greatly improved our understanding of the moon. However, the lunar geological maps published during the Apollo era have not been changed for about half a century, and are still being used for lunar geological research. With the improvements of lunar geological studies, those old maps can no longer meet the needs of future scientific research and lunar exploration.” Since 2012, Ouyang and Liu have led a team of scientists and cartographers from various research institutions in efforts to compile the atlas. With a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the origin and evolution of the moon, the team compiled the atlas based on scientific exploration data gained from China’s Chang’e lunar exploration program and other research results from Chinese and international missions, Liu said. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
