The far side of the moon, as seen by Chang'e-4. Photo: IC
Parts of the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing record-breaking low temperatures this week.
But Earth isn’t the only place making headlines for being so cold lately.
China’s lunar probe Chang’e-4 has woken up from a two-week hibernation on the far side of the moon – and it’s colder than scientists had predicted.
The probe reported nighttime temperatures that were much colder than expected: as low as minus 190 degrees Celsius, the China National Space Administration (SNSA) said Thursday.
The temperature was lower than conditions reported by U.S. missions to the near side of the moon, according to Chang’e-4 mission director Zhang He, speaking with China’s state-owned news agency Xinhua.
China became the first nation to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3.
Related: Five Things to Know About China’s Bid to Land on the Far Side of the Moon
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