Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Yutu on a Little Planet

NASA ^ | February 13, 2016 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Tracks lead to a small robot perched near the top of this bright little planet. Of course, the planet is really the Moon. The robot is the desk-sized Yutu rover, leaving its looming Chang'e 3 lander after a after a mid-December 2013 touch down in the northern Mare Imbrium. The little planet projection is a digitally warped and stitched mosaic of images from the lander's terrain camera covering 360 by 180 degrees. Ultimately traveling over 100 meters, Yutu came to a halt in January 2014. The lander's instruments are still working though, after more than two years on the lunar surface. Meanwhile, an interactive panoramic version of this little planet is available here.

[SunkenCiv]

[Image Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese National Space Administration, Emily Lakdawalla (Planetary Society); Stitched by: Andrew Bodrov]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[r_barton]

Ultimately traveling over 100 meters, Yutu came to a halt in January 2014.

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Funny. That’s about how far most Chinese made toys from WalMart go also. ;-)

[dr_lew]

How soon we forget:

[iowamark]

Yutu rover on the moon:

[T-Bone Texan]

Your photo: is it a poop or a jackalope? I see both.

[martin_fierro]

Ultimately traveling over 100 meters

THAT'S CUTE

[SunkenCiv]

Heh... isn't it?

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"You want to impress us? Bring back our FLAG, A-holes!"

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[colorado tanker]

:-))

[Frank_2001]

LOL! Back when America was America, we were cruising around in the lunar equivalent of a Lincoln Continental!!!

[dr_lew]

That's "House Rock", with Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charlie Duke visible at the base. It's a still from video taken with the remotely controlled rover camera.

Here's a youtube video ... evidently mistitled. The video gives the best impression, of course.