For many years, humanity has been striving to explore and uncover the mysteries of the Moon. With the support of modern science and technology, humans have finally realized the dream of setting foot on the Moon, even sending probes to land in the mysterious dark side of this celestial body.
In 1969, when American astronauts first landed on the Moon, it marked a significant milestone in the history of space exploration worldwide.
However, upon landing on the dark side of the Moon, the discoveries made by the spacecraft reminded many of the warnings from the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking.
So, what exactly are the mysteries of the dark side of the Moon, and what has Chang’e 4, the first spacecraft to land on this remote terrain, uncovered?
A photo of the Moon’s surface sent back to Earth by Chang’e 4. (Image: AP)
Due to the gravitational influence of Earth on the Moon, humans can only see one half of the Moon, leaving the dark side of this planet shrouded in mystery.
Because the dark side of the Moon is not visible, many different hypotheses have emerged. Some believe that the far side of the Moon is an ocean, while others speculate that it could hide an extraterrestrial civilization. However, the truth relies on scientific discoveries.
To further explore the mysteries of the Moon, China initiated a lunar exploration project. Accordingly, in October 2007, the Chang’e 1 spacecraft was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, China.
During 16 months of its lunar surface exploration mission, Chang’e 1 sent detailed images of the Moon’s surface back to Earth.
However, the real turning point in China’s lunar exploration missions came in 2019. That was when Chang’e 4 successfully landed in the Von Kármán crater on the dark side of the Moon on January 3, 2019. With this achievement, China became the first country in the world to explore the unknown dark side of the Moon.
Scientists discovered metals never found on Earth but present on the dark side of the Moon.
Based on previous exploratory observations, experts found that there are many craters formed by meteorite impacts on the dark side of the Moon. However, after the successful landing of Chang’e 4, scientists discovered that in addition to craters, there are also many leftover metals on the dark side of the Moon. Some were left by prior probes that could not land, and some are even metals never seen on Earth.
In addition to discovering some previously unproven astronomical information, Chang’e 4 found a massive metal deposit beneath the Von Kármán crater at a depth of up to 290 km, with reserves reaching 22 million tons. Why does the Moon have so many metals? Scientists believe that this massive metal deposit may have formed due to a past meteorite collision with Earth.
This discovery surprised scientists and inevitably reminded them of physicist Stephen Hawking’s warning.
What Did Physicist Stephen Hawking Warn About?
Professor Stephen Hawking was a renowned British scientist with significant contributions to science. (Image: Getty Images)
Stephen Hawking is considered one of the greatest scientists in the history of scientific research. Some of his warnings continue to have a significant impact on people.
During his lifetime, Stephen Hawking left many warnings for the future, such as the need to limit artificial intelligence. However, one of his warnings that concerns experts and many people relates to extraterrestrial civilizations. Physicist Stephen Hawking advised humanity not to actively seek contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, as this could bring disaster to humanity.
Specifically, in the 2017 documentary titled “Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places”, this famous physicist reiterated his warning about humanity’s attempts to reach out to and communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations. Professor Stephen Hawking specifically mentioned Gliese 832c, a planet outside the Solar System that shares many Earth-like characteristics, located about 16 light-years away, as an example.
Physicist Stephen Hawking stated: “One day, we might receive signals from a planet like this. But we should be cautious about how we respond. Meeting an advanced civilization could be like Native Americans encountering Columbus. The outcome may not be very favorable.”
Why Did Stephen Hawking Give Such a Warning?
The reason turns out to be quite simple. While humanity’s technology is rapidly advancing, we still do not know how machines will behave when faced with extraterrestrial civilizations.
These unknown metals found on the dark side of the Moon remind scientists once again of physicist Stephen Hawking’s warning. Because these metals are not found on Earth, it cannot be ruled out that they are “assets” left by other extraterrestrial civilizations.
Physicist Stephen Hawking warned humanity not to actively seek contact with extraterrestrial civilizations.
This also raises a series of hypotheses, such as when extraterrestrials may have visited the Moon and whether they discovered civilization on Earth.
Before there is a clear answer, certainly, physicist Stephen Hawking’s warning serves as advice for humanity in the journey of searching for and exploring the Moon in the future.
In fact, one side of the Moon always faces Earth, while the opposite side is the dark side. This is also the side that humans cannot see. Since 1959, when a Soviet spacecraft first captured an image of the dark side, subsequent spacecraft have seen the dark side of the Moon but have never landed in this area.
China is working hard to conduct lunar explorations and currently aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a space superpower by 2030.
