Chinese scientists have completed a 1:5,000,000 global lunar geological map, accompanied by partial geological maps of the Moon's north and south polar regions.
The map's author, the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, told the Xinhua News Agency that the map, 280 centimeters long and 120 centimeters high, precisely identifies 13,519 impact craters and 81 impact basins across the lunar surface. It also categorizes lunar geological features into 14 types of geological structure and 17 rock types.
Analyzing recent research, Chinese scientists confirmed evidence of volcanic eruptions on the moon as late as 2 billion years ago, extending the known active volcanic history of the satellite by a billion years. Researchers have re-ordered the late-stage geological history of the moon and established an updated lunar chronological table.
China launched the Chang'e-6 lunar probe on May 3, 2024 which successfully returned to Earth with 1,935.3 grams of lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon 53 days later. The same year, China released the world's first 1:2,500,000 lunar geological map. The Chang'e-7 lunar probe is scheduled to launch in the latter half of 2026 to explore the moon's south polar region.
Old Version
