Scientists unveil updated lunar map

China has officially unveiled the world’s only high-definition “geologic atlas” of the entire moon, the first major update of such basic lunar data since Nasa’s Apollo-era programme in the 1960s and 70s.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said the high-definition maps – published in Chinese and English – would provide up-to-date scientific references for future lunar research and exploration.

“Geology research of the moon is still built upon the lunar geologic atlas developed during the Apollo era. As moon research advances, the existing map can no longer meet the needs of future lunar scientific research and exploration,” the top national scientific institution said.

The new map of Earth’s only natural satellite is provided at a 1:2.5 million scale, compared with the previous scale of 1:5 million, which offered less detail. As well as the geological history of the moon, the map provides information on its 14 types of structures and 17 types of rocks, with labels for 12,341 craters and 81 impact basins.

The CAS said the atlas had been integrated into the digital lunar cloud platform built by Chinese scientists, and would help in selecting landing sites, resource exploration and path planning for China’s moon exploration. Co-lead researcher Ouyang Ziyuan, considered the “founding father” of China’s lunar programme, said the maps would also help researchers select a site for a planned lunar station.

While the map was compiled mainly using data from Chinese lunar missions, the scientists also referenced previous data and research from outside China.