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(HUANG JINGWEN) |
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao unveils a picture of the Moon's Sinus Iridium, or Bay of Rainbows, in Beijing on November 8.
The image was photographed by a charge-coupled device camera on the Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter from a height of 18.7 km above the Moon on October 28. Its publication marks the success of China's second lunar probe mission.
The picture covers an area 8 km wide from east to west and 15.9 km long from north to south, with its center at 31.05 degrees west longitude and 43.07 degrees north latitude. The area has been proposed as the landing site for China's future moon missions.
Chang'e-2 was launched on October 1. After finishing its six-month mission, the satellite will fulfill one of three designated tasks: crashing into the Moon, flying off into outer space or returning to the Earth. |