Photo: Li Hao / GT
Moon samples retrieved by the Chang’e-5 probe in China are on public display at the National Museum of China on Saturday.
The samples, mostly soil from the lunar surface, are preserved in a vessel made of artificial crystal.
Designed in the shape of a zun, a traditional Chinese bronze product, the vessel is 38.44 cm high and 22.89 cm wide. The altitude represents the average distance between the Earth and the moon of 384,400 km, while the width represents 22.89 days of the mission of the lunar probe.
In addition to the samples, the display also features around 40 objects related to the lunar probe, along with several photos and videos.
Following the exhibition in Beijing, the samples will begin touring around the country.
The Chang’e-5 probe, which returned to Earth on Dec. 17, received 1,731 grams of lunar samples from the moon.