back to article China's Yutu rover spots 'mysterious hut' on far side of the Moon

China's Moon rover, Yutu 2, has sent images of a strangely geometric object. A post to Chinese social media site qq.com describes the object as a "mysterious hut" thanks to its cubic shape. The post was made by "Our Space" – a qq.com account that promotes the feats of China's National Space Agency (CNSA) and appears to have …

  1. Number6

    Of course, if it's full of stars then that's a whole different ballgame.

    1. Totally not a Cylon
      Mushroom

      What if it's full of Rabbits?

      More specifically Lunar Rabbits who are a type of Youkai....

      Watch out for this one: Reisen Udongein Inaba..

      1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: What if it's full of Rabbits?

        At last we know where the Monkeys on the Moon are staying.

        1. NoneSuch Silver badge
          FAIL

          C'mon Reg, You Missed The Obvious...

          Let's call it Jabba.

      2. bombastic bob Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: What if it's full of Rabbits?

        maybe they'll offer us some mochi...

    2. Mike 125

      >whole different ballgame.

      Yes but still nobody will understand it, and they'll argue for years about its meaning...

    3. The Man Who Fell To Earth Silver badge
      WTF?

      All I can say is

      They spend all that money to get to the moon and didn't bring a decent camera? That's a pretty piss poor photo given the object is only 80m away.

      1. cyberdemon Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: All I can say is

        They could also bring a faster set of wheel-motors and some more powerful solar panels.. 2-3 days to travel 80 metres? I'm pretty sure a snail could outrun that..

        1. Irony Deficient

          2–3 days to travel 80 metres? I’m pretty sure a snail could outrun that…

          You’re pretty sure that a snail could outrun that … on the moon?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Devil

            Re: 2–3 days to travel 80 metres? I’m pretty sure a snail could outrun that…

            Based on indisputable source material, (Good Omens) 2-3 days to travel 80 meters seems about right for the M25.

  2. llaryllama

    Chinese maps now include an 11-dash line incorporating the Moon and all its Cubes that were part of China since ancient times.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Well, to be fair, they have had a bit of a head start on the rest of the world. They've been developing rockets since 1232AD.

      And then there was that Emperor with his swan powered throne who flew to the Moon

  3. Mark 85
    Black Helicopters

    Get the popcorn ready....

    I suspect that some or many of the conspiracy types here in the States will be coming up with all sorts of hilarious and bizarre explanations at to what this is.

    1. herman

      Re: Get the popcorn ready....

      Obviously it is an ice fishing hut.

      1. Uncle Slacky Silver badge

        Re: Get the popcorn ready....

        A whalers' hut, shirley?

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8V2U7vTys0

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Get the popcorn ready....

        Its Luther Hargreeves hut.

    2. Michael Habel
      Alien

      Re: Get the popcorn ready....

      It is (or, was), Adophs Lunar retreat after he retierd from the war.

      1. bpfh

        Re: Get the popcorn ready....

        Iron Sky IRL in 3 days… 2 days…

    3. DS999 Silver badge
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Get the popcorn ready....

      Inside that building is a communication relay Bill Gates uses to beam his instructions to the Earth and control everyone who has been chipped with the covid vaccine. It has to be on the Moon because as Russia recently demonstrated using a satellite for that purpose leaves it vulnerable to attack.

      The Chinese learned about Gates' plans about two years ago after he embedded Windows with a backdoor that would be deployed in a particular PC controlling a robot arm in a little known virology institute in Wuhan China. This would cause it to mishandle a particular vial releasing a fairly virulent strain of coronavirus capable of silently infecting the staff. The staff would then unknowingly carry it out to the wet market across the street and infect many others, thus setting off a pandemic that would eventually cause billions to seek a vaccine. That's why China has been so tight lipped about how the pandemic started, they don't want to tip off Gates and the rest of the Bilderberg Group that are behind it all that they know their plans.

      Their plan was to land a rover nearby and enter the building using the robot arm to open the door, then hijack the system using the USB attachment on the robot arm to send out a self destruct code to the chips in every vaccinated person's body, rendering them inert. Unfortunately some low level rover engineer named 霍华德·沃洛维茨 who wasn't privy to this plan saw the "hut" on the horizon and made it public. Now Gates and Musk are scrambling to use SpaceX to launch a small tactical nuke at the rover before it can get there. So if it goes out of communication in the next week or so, and then you hear stories about the incredible coincidence of a meteor strike taking out the Chinese rover, you know the reason why.

      1. Youngone Silver badge

        Re: Get the popcorn ready....

        I heard that too.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. X5-332960073452
        Happy

        Re: Get the popcorn ready....

        霍华德·沃洛维茨 = Howard Worowitz

        1. DS999 Silver badge

          Re: Get the popcorn ready....

          I was hoping somebody would get that. When I backtranslated what I translated into Chinese I got Howard Volowitz. Either way I figured it is close enough for people to get the joke :)

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Devil

      Re: Get the popcorn ready....

      It's obviously the lost Trump ballot boxes that prove he won the election.

    5. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Get the popcorn ready....

      First thing I thought of was a chunk of something we sent there...

      How about the bottom half of the LEM that was tested by Apollo X ??? Or the top half of a LEM that was launched into orbit to return astronauts to the Apollo command module? Those things were dropped back onto the moon, so maybe just "space junk". That's what I'm thinking.

  4. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    Lunar Hut

    Well it can no longer be a Hewlett Packard delivery...

    https://www.theregister.com/2008/07/18/hp_packaging/

    Maybe an Amazon warehouse?

    Or a spec of dust on the photosensor.

    1. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

      Re: Lunar Hut

      Imagine a monstrous HP box containing an itty-bitty screw for fastening some object to a motherboard...

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        Re: Lunar Hut

        I don't need to imagine that, I've already seen it.

        (Related, a few weeks ago Amazon sent me a box that was around 30x20x10cm, which was completely empty except for a small baggie holding the two watch bars I'd ordered.)

  5. 45RPM Silver badge

    I’ve examined the picture carefully and it’s clearly not a hut. It’s obviously two aliens standing next to each other. Watching. Waiting.

    1. navidier
      Happy

      > I’ve examined the picture carefully and it’s clearly not a hut. It’s obviously two aliens standing next to each other. Watching. Waiting.

      Like the Moody Blues' reference:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCtqq8GDxA

    2. Michael Habel
      Alien

      They are probably just a couple of harmless ailens, who just want to monitor our Breakfast Programmes and track their horoscopes ...

      1. 45RPM Silver badge

        That’s Rupert, surely?

  6. CrackedNoggin Bronze badge

    If it is a hut ... it's also on the far side so your boss can not peek at you through a telescope.

    1. Crypto Monad Silver badge

      It's a coin-operated robot. With skis.

      1. Michael Habel

        Makes you wonder what Marvin wants with all of your small change... The kind the Galati-Banks refuse to deal in as its just piddlely change to them.

      2. Sgt_Oddball
        Holmes

        I thought we'd already proven...

        The moon is not (unfortunately) made of cheese?

        Though if they find a bright orange rocket nearby then I'll be happy to eat my flat cap.

    2. Michael Habel

      Perhaps the "Man who rules the Universe" descided to drop by the neghborhood?

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
        Happy

        Ford: "Excuse me. Do you rule the universe?"

        Man who rules the universe: "I try not to."

        1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
          Pint

          Is it blue perchance with a light on the top?

          1. Michael Habel

            Sadly Dr. Who is now dead to me... Than Beeeb!

  7. chivo243 Silver badge

    No, no...

    It's a side view of the Golden Arches on the horizon... and their closed!

    https://imgur.com/gallery/NN8a2

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No, no...

      *they're

  8. Chris G

    As usual

    It's a portapotty, normally the first thing to be installed on a new construction project, the second thing will be a huge billboard with an overly ambitious artist's impression of what the new building will look like.

    Most likely a condo development by Uranus Products.

    1. DJV Silver badge

      Re: Uranus Products

      That's their old name, they changed it to avoid the embarrassment.

      They're now known as Urectum Products.*

      * with apologies to Professor Farnsworth

    2. Plest Silver badge

      Re: As usual

      I bought something there once....the wife say it was disgusting and made me post it back for a refund!

    3. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      Re: As usual

      Obvious explanation will become clear as rover gets closer, and additional detail resolves. Like traffic cones, some hazard tape and a small hole.

      It's just one of those universal laws. Wherever there are vehicles, there will be roadworks. If the moon had trees, there'd be traffic cones in those as well.

    4. ravenviz Silver badge

      Re: As usual

      It’s a sign that says “Petunia Scaffolding (Magrathea)”.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's occupants enjoying a uniquely Biroid lifestyle

    1. Anonymous Coward
      1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge
        1. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

          Its

          Monty Pythons Flying Cir-cus

          1. DJV Silver badge
          2. Death Boffin
            Joke

            You can't never have too many apostrophe's'

            It's'

            Monty Python's' Flying Cir-cu's'

            1. Camilla Smythe

              Re: You can't not never have too many apostrophe's'

              Title fixed. See Title.

  10. Christoph

    It's the hut where the Ruler of the Universe and his cat live.

    1. Adrian 4

      There should be a cliff nearby with 'we apologise for the inconvenience' in letters of fire.

      1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

        It actually is a convenience.

        1. Mark 85

          It actually is a convenience.

          So it's a porta potty?

          1. ravenviz Silver badge

            So, a Lunochod-bin!

    2. Roger Kynaston
      Coat

      How do we know?

      It could be the hut where the ruler of the universe lives. Or it could just be an imaginary construct of our mind to account for the discrepancy between our memory of things and what we see now.

      Apologies to Douglas Adams for mangling his prose so badly.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "mysterious hut"

    there's no better way to generate news about Chinese 'metoo!' adventures in space.

    p.s. I do remember American soldiers smirking about Japanese crap watch imitations around WW2 and such. So, the Chinese might get the last me-too laugh...

    1. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

      Re: 'metoo!'

      I think you'll find it's called Yutu.

      1. JassMan

        Re: 'metoo!'

        I am sure the man on the radio said "you tutu" but it may have been "yutu 2"

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's obvious

    It's a McDonald's.

    Since it is reported that McDonald's Corp said it would almost double the number of stores in mainland China by 2022, they have to put them somewhere.

    1. adam 40 Silver badge

      No, it's a hut

      so it's obviously Pizza Hut.

      1. Fred Dibnah

        Re: No, it's a hut

        Sunglass Hut would be more useful for half the time.

        1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

          Re: No, it's a hut

          If it's in space, surely it must be Jabba

        2. ravenviz Silver badge

          Re: No, it's a hut

          Arthur Dent: “Only half the time?”

          Captain of the B-Ark: “Yes, about half, I’d say”

  13. Richard 12 Silver badge

    It's a film set

    They had to film the moon landings somewhere, Kubrick liked realism so insisted they were filmed on the Moon.

    1. Dazed and Confused

      Re: It's a film set

      I was going to say it was the refreshment hut for Kubrick's film crew from when they faked the moon landings. I wonder if they're still serving tea?

      1. Sgt_Oddball

        Re: It's a film set

        More likely to serve something "almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea".....

        1. Dazed and Confused

          Re: It's a film set

          :-)

          Except if Kubrick was faking the tea, it would be indistinguishable from the real thing.

    2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      Re: It's a film set

      Indeed. It is the 'B' site for the Sentinal sequence.

      Arthur C Clarke is probably laughing at our stupidity from Heaven.

  14. Paul Herber Silver badge

    Just a local shop. Nothing for you here.

    1. AndrueC Silver badge
      Joke

      Probably a Tesco Express..

  15. arachnoid2

    Lets hope

    Theyre not out of chicken nuggets by the time it reaches the drive in.

  16. muddysteve

    it's where the old bloke on that John Lewis ad lives.

  17. anthonyhegedus Silver badge

    Hermes

    Actually, it's a box containing a luxury scratching post, a kitty-brush and a litter scoop. Hermes have been practising the art of throwing things over fences and houses but unfortunately for Mr Snufflelumps, this delivery driver was a little too enthusiastic with his technique.

  18. thudandblunder

    And the winnner for 2021 of Shed of the year is.....

  19. mark4155
    Alien

    Bloody John Lewis!

    Well John Lewis "Never Knowingly Undersold" ran a Christmas ad a few years back see it again at

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emoUWMmGzXo

    It was one of their better ones and cost them millions, their claim not mine.

    You would think that a reputable posh store like them would have rehomed the old guy with the remarkably small telescope in relation to the required focal length required for his spying on 22 Acacia Drive, Borehamwood (Regomized).

    Such a lavish budget and they couldn't be arsed to take the hut with them. Oh it makes my blood boil!

    Merry Christmas fellow El Reg Readers.

    Mark.

    1. 42656e4d203239 Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Bloody John Lewis!

      >>spying on 22 Acacia Drive,

      Sad - misread Drive as Avenue (its early, I have no coffee...)

      I was going to be witty about spying through a telescope and a certain ditty or, IIRC, two by Iron Maiden regarding the activities of a young woman by the name of Charlotte... oh well. Back to work I guess.

    2. Will Godfrey Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Bloody John Lewis!

      I missed that one. It's absolutely brilliant!

  20. Rosie Davies

    Here be Dragons

    Soup Dragons to be precise, as any fule know.

    Rosie

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clangers

    1. Sam not the Viking Silver badge

      Re: Here be Dragons

      I suspect someone's dropped a clanger......

  21. Ken Shabby

    Problem solved: Arthur Jackson's other shed.

  22. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge
    Trollface

    It's the BOFH's lunar base.

    1. Totally not a Cylon
      Linux

      With the codes to the Orbital LART stored in a safe...

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "not very convenient to shops, transport or local schools"

    And Ocado don't have any delivery slots free until next Thursday!

  24. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    A very large salt crystal. Waiting for a delivery of vinegar and spuds.

  25. Dabooka

    If it is a hut

    Can I nominate to host future episodes of I'm a Celebrity...?

    Tanked oxygen optional

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: If it is a hut

      [Geordie accent]

      Day one in the Big Brother lunar hut, and all the contestants have died of asphyxiation.

      [Geordie accent]

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: If it is a hut

        [Sergeant-Major Williams accent]

        Oh dear, how sad, never mind

        [Sergeant-Major Williams accent]

  26. herman

    Elevator

    It is the entrance to the elevator going to the underground Nazi base of course. Sig heil.

  27. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge
    IT Angle

    Rocks are cubic.

    Pixels are square.

    Taken together

    they'll explain what's there.

  28. alain williams Silver badge

    The man in the moon ...

    has got to live somewhere!

  29. Wally Dug

    A Grand Day Out

    Is it, perhaps, the cooker from the first Wallace & Gromit film A Grand Day Out?

    1. hoola Silver badge

      Re: A Grand Day Out

      Excellent, I had not thought of that but it is the best suggestion so far.......

  30. Dr. G. Freeman

    Couldn't it be one of the Russian/Soviet Lunokhod rovers ?

    They were rather large and shed-like.

    1. Chris G

      Large and shed like; its probably an old Landrover, they could go anywhere but for some reason some of them never come back.

  31. markrand

    'Tis a monolith seedling.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Do you mean a Minilith?

    2. ravenviz Silver badge
      Coat

      Looks like two so it’s a stereolith.

  32. Kablex

    ... it be the Borg !

  33. wolfetone Silver badge
    Alien

    So, it begins...

  34. scrubber

    It's just another brick in the wall

  35. Fred Dibnah
    Thumb Up

    Zoom meetings

    As the hut is on the other side of the Moon, I don't think the 2.6 second RTT is the major issue.

  36. ITS Retired

    If it is a real hut, with a door and windows?

  37. blah@blag.com

    When they get there ...

    I hope they find a shed with a non-working lawn mower and a lonely wellie.

    1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

      Re: When they get there ...

      What have you got against wellies?

  38. FrankeeD

    Pink Floyd's other recording studio?

  39. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Alien

    Its

    dust on the lens caused by venus being in conjunction with Mars during sunset being seen through large amounts of swamp gas

    Now look into this while we erase your memory

  40. Number6

    Perhaps it's the bookstore where they've got Fly Fishing by J.R.Hartley in stock.

  41. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

    Pizza Hut?

    Or or the continuation of the monolith craze we went through a few months back.

  42. saramakos

    Even with that ping time it is probably STILL faster than Australia's NBN

  43. Winkypop Silver badge

    Not!

    The COMFY CHAIR!

    (jangling music)

  44. Totally not a Cylon
    WTF?

    Is it Friday?

    Just re-read all the above and it feels more like Friday than Tuesday.......

  45. staringatclouds

    I wondered where that went

    I used to have a gazebo

    Then after a sudden storm I found I didn't have a gazebo any more

    I wondered where it went, I didn't think of looking up there

  46. Dreams65

    It's Schrödinger's box and inside is a fury alien...or not.

  47. AdmFubar

    the moon is crawling with geometric hallucinations....

  48. Balcom

    That camera is so poor the Chinese can't bear to admit they've found the McDonald's drive-thru!

  49. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    DB

    King Carrot's hut. I don't recall Goku ever brining him back to earth.

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