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 __________________________________________________________________ [12]< | [13]Archive | [14]Submissions | [15]Index | [16]Search | [17]Calendar | [18]RSS | [19]Education | [20]About APOD | [21]Discuss | [22]> __________________________________________________________________ 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/