<h2>Moon Panorama</h2>
Chinese moon lander Chang&#8217;e-4 and its companion rover Yutu 2 just took photos of each other while basking in sunlight on the far side of the Moon, which faces away from the Earth.
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-147856" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/01/chinas-moon-lander-360-panorama-far-side-moon-1200x630.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="630" /> <img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-147857" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/01/yutu2.jpg" alt="" width="976" height="549" />
After touching down just <a href="https://futurism.com/china-landed-probe-change4-far-side-moon">over a week ago</a>, the lander has now sent back several new pictures, including a stunning 360 degree panorama of its surroundings. The Yutu 2 rover, and the tracks it left as it made its way across the lunar surface, can be seen in the bottom left.
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-147855" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/01/chiange4-360-1200x1180.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1180" />
The lander also <a href="http://www.clep.org.cn/n5982341/c6805171/content.html">sent back a video</a> stitched together from more than 4,700 static images taken by the on-board camera. The video shows Chang&#8217;e-4 adjusting its trajectory right before landing on the lunar surface below.
All that information had to go through a specially deployed relay satellite, since the Moon itself blocks direct signals to Earth from its far side.
<h2>Exploring the Far Side</h2>
The Chang&#8217;e-4 launched on December 7 to explore the far side of the Moon and investigate how its mineral composition and structure compare to the much better-known near side. It’s also carrying a tiny biosphere containing a number of Earth-based species including potato plants and fruit flies.
China&#8217;s Lunar and Deep Space Exploration organization claims the mission &#8220;was a complete success&#8221; according to an <a href="http://www.clep.org.cn/n5982341/c6805176/content.html">update on its website</a> published today, as interpreted by Google Translate.
Now, the engineers working on the project are handing the reigns to the scientific exploration team, according to the update.
And we can&#8217;t wait to find out what they&#8217;ll be able to learn from studying the far side of the Moon in the upcoming months.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46836047">China Moon probes take snaps of each other</a> [BBC]
More on Chang&#8217;e-4: <a href="https://futurism.com/china-lunar-rover-change-4-far-side-moon-photos">See China’s Lunar Rover Set Off Across the Far Side of the Moon</a>

Here's a 360 degree lunar panorama taken by China's moon lander

Moon Panorama

China's moon lander just sent back more pictures from the far side of the Moon, including a 360 degree panorama and a video taken during its landing.

Here’s a 360 Degree Lunar Panorama Taken by China’s Moon Lander

There's even a video of the landing.

<h2>Roll Out</h2>
Earlier this week, Chinese lunar probe Chang&#8217;e-4 made history by becoming the first spacecraft to ever <a href="https://futurism.com/nasas-new-horizons-team-reveals-new-details-about-ultimate-thule">land on the far side of the Moon</a> — the less-studied, mountainous half that faces away from the Earth.
Yesterday, we were blessed with a <a href="http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c6805034/content.html">number of new high-resolution images</a>, courtesy of China&#8217;s National Space Administration, showing the more mysterious side of the Moon in all its glory. The pictures had to make their way through a special relay satellite called Queqiao since radio communication with the far side of the Moon is far more difficult.
Chang&#8217;e-4 <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-launches-first-lander-far-side-of-moon">launched</a> on December 7 to explore the differences between the far, and near side of the Moon in terms of their mineral composition, and structure. It&#8217;s also carrying a tiny biosphere containing a number of Earth-based species including potato plants and fruit flies.
<figure id="attachment_147285" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="wp-image-147285 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/01/5c2f3f8ebd77304d21184b95-1334-1334-1200x1200.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: CSNA</figcaption></figure>
&nbsp;
<figure id="attachment_147284" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-large wp-image-147284" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/01/5c2f475a630d9b27ee2998b5-1334-1334-1200x1200.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: CSNA</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Yutu 2</h2>
The pictures, taken by Chang&#8217;e-4&#8217;s on-board cameras, show the Yutu 2 rover— China revealed that name <a href="https://www.space.com/42890-china-moon-far-side-rover-yutu-2-success.html">yesterday</a> — rolling down tracks and leaving the Chang&#8217;e-4 lander behind.
The rover is situated in the floor of the 115 mile wide (186 kilometers) Von Kármán Crater near the Moon&#8217;s South Pole.
Yutu 2 is the successor of the original Yutu rover that landed on the near side of the Moon back in December 2013 as part of the Chang&#8217;e-3 mission. Since the Chang&#8217;e-4 and accompanying rover were meant to be backups for their predecessors, the <a href="https://www.space.com/42890-china-moon-far-side-rover-yutu-2-success.html">designs are strikingly similar</a>.
<figure id="attachment_147290" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="wp-image-147290 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-04-at-1.00.46-PM-1200x1205.png" alt="" width="1200" height="1205" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: CSNA</figcaption></figure>
The image above shows Yutu 2&#8217;s specialized wheels, designed to survive the treacherous, yet low-gravity conditions on the Moon&#8217;s surface.
<h2>Dark Side of the Moon?</h2>
The term &#8220;Dark Side of the Moon&#8221; is a misnomer — the far side of the Moon receives quite a bit of light, just as much as its near side.
As Space.com <a href="https://www.space.com/42886-not-dark-side-of-moon-china-lunar-farside.html">points out</a>, the lunar day cycle lasts a much longer 709 hours — roughly 30 days on Earth. That means it will be light for half of that time, roughly two weeks.
In fact, Chang&#8217;e-4 landed shortly after the sun rose on the far side, meaning it has roughly 14 Earth days of daylight ahead of it.
And we can&#8217;t wait to find out what the lander — and Yutu 2 — have in store for us.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/far-side-of-the-moon-china-rover-explores-tracks-2019-1">Photos show Chinese lunar rover making tracks on the far side of the moon as it starts its historic exploration mission</a> [Business Insider]
More on Chang&#8217;e-4: <a href="https://futurism.com/nasas-new-horizons-team-reveals-new-details-about-ultimate-thule">China Just Landed a Rover on the Far Side of the Moon</a>

The Yutu 2 rover is making its way across the Moon.

See China’s lunar rover set off across the far side of the Moon

Lunar Rover Pictures

Chang'e-4 has sent back new photos of its lunar rover, the Yutu 2, setting off on a long journey across the far side of the Moon.

/Far Side

Moon Panorama

Here’s a 360 Degree Lunar Panorama Taken by China’s Moon Lander

Lunar Rover Pictures

See China’s Lunar Rover Set Off Across the Far Side of the Moon

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