China’s Chang’e Project Reveals a New Era of Lunar Geology with High-Definition Atlases

China’s Chang’e Project has produced the first high-definition geological atlas of the Moon, which maps over 12,300 craters. This set of geological atlases is available in both Chinese and English and includes two key components: the Geological Atlas of the Lunar Globe and the map quadrangles of the Geological Atlas of the Moon.

The Geological Atlas of the Lunar Globe consists of three maps: the Geological Map of the Moon, the Lithological Map of the Moon, and the Tectonic Map of the Moon. The Geological Atlas of the Moon Map Quadrangles includes 30 standardized subschematic geological maps. These atlases provide a comprehensive understanding of the Moon’s origin and evolution.

Academician Ouyang Ziyuan and researcher Liu Jianzhong led a team to compile these new lunar geological atlases using data from China’s Chang’e lunar exploration program and other international missions. They established a unified classification system for subtypes of basin formations, along with special elements like landing sites of human probes and special elevation points. The digital lunar geological atlas has been integrated into a digital lunar cloud platform for lunar scientific research, education, and future lunar exploration projects.

The Apollo program’s lunar geological maps are no longer sufficient for current and future deep space exploration and scientific research needs. These new atlases provide a more comprehensive understanding of the Moon’s geology, which will be valuable for future space missions to study our neighboring planet in greater detail than ever before.