Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2020 November 27
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Chang'e 5 Mission Launch
             Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Jeff Dai ([5]TWAN)

   Explanation: This Long March-5 rocket blasted off from the [6]Wenchang
   launch site in southernmost Hainan province on Tuesday November 24, at
   4:30 am Beijing Time, carrying China's [7]Chang'e-5 mission to the
   Moon. The lunar landing mission is named for the ancient Chinese
   goddess of the moon. [8]Its goal is to collect about 2 kilograms (4.4
   pounds) of lunar material from the surface and return it to planet
   Earth, the first robotic sample return mission to the Moon since the
   Soviet Union's [9]Luna 24 mission in 1976. The [10]complex Chang'e-5
   mission landing target is in the Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms).
   The smooth volcanic plain was also visited by the [11]Apollo 12 mission
   in 1969. Chang'e-5's lander is solar-powered and scheduled to operate
   on the lunar surface during its location's lunar daylight, which will
   last about two Earth weeks, beginning around November 27. A capsule
   with the lunar sample on board would return to Earth in mid-December.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [27]Specific rights apply.
              [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC
                           & [32]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2011/IMG_20201124052235_9280.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. http://www.twanight.org/Dai
   5. http://www.twanight.org/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenchang_Spacecraft_Launch_Site
   7. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=CHANG-E-5
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_5
   9. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/luna24.html
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waF2pzTGX4I
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191123.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201126.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=201127
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201128.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. http://www.mtu.edu/