{"id":2410,"date":"2026-10-23T03:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T00:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=2410"},"modified":"2026-10-23T03:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T00:20:26","slug":"over-the-past-three-years-new-unique-images-and-maps-of-the-moon-have-been-obtained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2026\/10\/23\/over-the-past-three-years-new-unique-images-and-maps-of-the-moon-have-been-obtained\/","title":{"rendered":"Over the past three years, new unique images and maps of the Moon have been obtained"},"content":{"rendered":"

China and NASA are confidently competing for new data about Earth’s natural satellite. Each space agency is successful in its own way.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In 2024, Chinese scientists obtained the first X-ray image of the Moon.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Chinese scientists used their own space probe to obtain an X-ray image of the Moon for the first time during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xinjingbao reported on Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

“China’s Einstein X-ray spacecraft transmitted an X-ray image of the Moon from space during the Mid-Autumn Festival. This marks the first time Chinese scientists have used a domestically developed space telescope to obtain an X-ray image of the Moon,” the publication notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAn X-ray image of the Moon taken by a space probe. National Astronomical Observatories of China<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

X-rays emitted by the Sun are reportedly reflected by the Moon. Since the energies of X-rays emitted by different elements on the surface of the Earth’s satellite vary, the images can reveal the distribution of elements on the Moon. Earth’s atmosphere does not transmit X-rays, so specialized space probes are used to study them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival coincided with a supermoon. The Moon was at perigee (its closest point in its orbit to Earth), just 357,400 kilometers from Earth. At this time, its area was 14% larger than during a typical full moon. Furthermore, the Sun was at its peak activity, with frequent solar flares occurring, increasing its X-ray output.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Einstein probe was launched on January 9. It is China’s first wide-field X-ray astronomy satellite, and is used to detect phenomena predicted by theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, such as black holes and gravitational waves.<\/span><\/p>\n

NASA explained: Earth’s atmosphere doesn’t magnify our view of the Moon. Quite the contrary, atmospheric refraction compresses it slightly. And the Moon isn’t closer to us on the horizon. It’s about 1.5 percent further away. Moreover, it’s not just the Moon. Constellations on the horizon also appear enormous.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One popular theory is that this is a variation of the Ponzo illusion. In our perception, everything seems to shrink as it moves toward the horizon\u2014clouds, planes, cars, and ships. But the Moon doesn’t. So our minds invent a story to explain this discrepancy. Somehow, the Moon gets bigger when it’s near the horizon. This is one popular hypothesis, but there are others. And we’re still waiting for an experiment that will convince everyone we understand this.<\/span><\/p>\n