Chinese sighting of 'cube' on moon rouses speculation, inspires memes

The photograph of the object was captured by the Yutu-2 rover on the far side of the moon

BEIJING:

A photograph of a cube-like object captured by a Chinese rover on the far side of the moon has fanned speculation over what it could be and inspired a host of memes by Chinese internet users.

The Yutu-2 caught an image of what seems like a large cubic object on the horizon about 80 metres (87 yards) from its location, said Our Space, a Chinese government science website, citing the rover's last log on Dec. 3.

Under the hashtag "Yutu's latest discovery", a series of internet memes showed the rover rolling over the lunar plain towards a pair of obelisks, a tall monolith, and even a giant hammer and sickle - the symbol of the Communist Party.

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"It's space junk left behind by the US," one Chinese internet user wrote in a social media post.

"Get a bit closer, and you'd see it's a nucleic acid test site for Covid-19," another quipped.

"It's the home of aliens!" a third said in mock horror.

Others suggested a more mundane possibility - it's just a boulder.

The solar-powered Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit" in Chinese, will cover the distance of 80 metres in two to three lunar days, according to Our Space, or two to three Earth months.

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The robotic rover has been operating in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin since its deployment in January 2019.

The mission was a historic first, with no other nation having landed on the far side of the moon until then.

With the moon tidally locked to Earth - rotating at the same speed as it orbits our planet - most of its "dark side" is never visible to those on Earth.