Watch China Land on the Moon's Far Side in This Awesome Video!

[Judi Lynn]

By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | January 11, 2019 02:24pm ET

A spectacular new video gives a lander's-eye view of the first-ever touchdown on the moon's mysterious far side.

The nearly 3-minute video was captured by China's Chang'e 4 mission, which landed inside the 115-mile-wide (185 kilometers) Von Kármán Crater on the night of Jan. 2.

The black-and-white footage begins with a nice view of the battered lunar landscape set against the blackness of space. About 1 minute in, the camera pivots downward. Dozens of small craters on Von Kármán's floor come into sharper view as the spacecraft makes its way toward the surface. [Photos from the Moon's Far Side! China's Chang'e 4 Lunar Landing in Pictures]

Then, Chang'e 4 pauses its descent briefly, probably sussing out the safest place to touch down. Satisfied, the spacecraft heads groundward again. We see a flurry of dust kicked up by Chang'e 4's descent engines, and then it's all over — the historic landing is in the books.

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https://www.space.com/42986-china-far-side-moon-landing-video.html?_ga=2.42472941.975214506.1549905102-2088264788.1483675932

[underpants]

1. 👀

Cool. Watching later

[The Blue Flower]

2. What's interesting to me is how much light there is

There is enough light for the camera to transmit clear images. I always imagined it would be pitch dark on that side of the moon. Thanks for the post.

[FBaggins]

4. Keep in mind that the moon is tidally locked

The “far side of the moon” isn’t necessarily the “dark side of the moon”. The landing likely took place in full daylight.

[RKP5637]

3. Thanks for posting this!!! n/t

[hunter]

5. It's so difficult to judge the scale.

I kept thinking they were close and craters I thought small at first just kept getting bigger and bigger.

[ROB-ROX]

6. Where are the NEW pictures, videos??

All I see is the OLD crap? If there is something where NEW pictures, videos, etc are shared? Any time these robots move there is something new to be shown to PROVE the robot is exploring. I think the whole thing is FAKE and they lack the ability to land a fire cracker on the moon......

[LakeSuperiorView]

7. The camera didn't pivot, the entire lander did.

The camera was fixed in place.