China's lunar probe observes stars, explores moon

Moon lander Chang'e-3 and rover "Yutu" of China's lunar probe mission have collected a large amount space observation and moon exploration data, a government authority said on Friday.

A moon-based optical telescope on the lander has been observing lights from many celestial objects at near ultraviolet wavelengths, and has detected 23 stars, said a statement from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

After data analysis and processing, scientists have drafted an atlas of stars around the constellation Draco, the statement said.

Probe equipment on the rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit) is exploring the moon.

The probe radar has surveyed the moon's surface and collected two sets of data about the structure of lunar soil beneath the surface within 140 meters and 10 meters respectively, the statement said.

The panoramic camera and infrared spectrograph have sent back clear images of the moon's surface and data collected by a particle X-ray device has helped scientists identify 11 types of chemical elements such as magnesium, aluminum, calcium and yttrium on the moon, it added.

Data collected from observations of the plasmasphere over the Earth will provide more information about the impact of solar activities to the Earth, according to the statement.

These findings will provide information for scientists to better understand the terrain, geological structure, material composition and soil formation of the moon, the statement said.