China publishes first geological atlas of the Moon in high definition

Views around the World

The new geological map is of great importance for studying the evolution of the Moon and choosing the best place for a future lunar research station.

China has published the first high-definition geological atlas of the Moon, a compendium that presents basic mapping data for the future of lunar research and exploration.

The publication is available in Chinese and English and has a scale of 1:2.5 million, said the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“This atlas is of great importance for studying the evolution of the Moon, choosing the best place for a future lunar research station and employing resources. It can also help to better understand Earth and other planets in the solar system such as Mars”, said the scientist and academic Ouyang Ziyuan, cited by Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Institute of Geochemistry researcher Liu Jianzhong recalled that the geological maps of the Moon published in the era of the North American Apollo missions have not been updated and continue to be used in research in this field.

“With progress in lunar geological study, these old maps no longer meet the needs of future research and exploration,” Liu added.

In recent years, Beijing has invested heavily in the space program, having managed to carry out several lunar missions and build its own space station.