Hong Kong unveils Chang’e-5 lunar soil
Print Edition
With gasps and cheers, an exhibition in Hong Kong lifted the veil on its mysterious moon soil on Saturday.
Liu Wai-chung, 30, took three photos of the coin-sized soil inside a rotating crystal container, which was black and gray under spotlights. Even for the geomatics researcher with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, to see in person the piece of soil brought back from somewhere 380,000 kilometers away in outer space is a truly fantastic experience.
It is the first time that lunar soil is displayed in Hong Kong, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam said on Saturday when addressing an inauguration of the show.
The exhibit is part of 1,731 grams of samples picked up from the moon by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe in December 2020, the first lunar collection sent back to Earth in more than 40 years.
Behind the success were also the efforts of Hong Kong scientists. A research team led by Yung Kai-leung, a PolyU professor, developed the samplers for the Chang’e-5. Yung also appeared at the exhibition.
“Because of COVID-19, we couldn’t go to Beijing. This is also the first time for me to see the lunar soil. It is so exciting!” Yung said with a tremor of excitement in his voice.
As a researcher, Liu is curious and has many questions.
“What’s in it exactly? What kind of features it has?” he said.
“I look forward to an opportunity to participate in related research in the future.”
The exhibition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center also features models of the lunar probe and hundreds of exhibits to tell the inspiring stories of Chinese scientists over the past 100 years.
Eva Charisa Hsu, the principal of Fukien Secondary School Affiliated School, was impressed by the lunar soil on Saturday.
Hsu still remembered the scene that she and her students watched the launch of the Shenzhou-12 manned spacecraft on TV.
“We counted down together and cheered for our country,” she said.
“We were very happy.
“I feel exactly the same right now!”
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