The Yutu-2 image of the ‘mysterious hut’. (CNSA/CLEP/Our Space)
The mysterious Chinese “moon cube” is no longer a mystery. The big reveal: it’s a rock that doesn’t even have the shape of a cube. National rover Yutu2 discovered the object – which appeared to be a gray cube looming above the lunar horizon – in early December. China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) dubbed it the “mystery hut,” playfully speculating that the cube could be an alien house or a spaceship.
The news called it the “moon cube”.
The CNSA estimated that the object was about 80 meters (262 feet) away, according to the blog affiliated with the agency, and ready to point the rover towards it. The blog said it would take two or three months to reach the cube.
After several weeks of preparation and driving, the rover is close enough to see that the “mystery hut” is just a rock. Its sharp geometric aspect on the horizon was a simple turn of perspective, light and shadow.
In an updated posted on Friday, Our Space published the rover’s latest photo of its target, below.
Yutu-2 image of the closer rock. (CNSA/CLEP/Our Space)
