On Tuesday January 15, 2019 the China News Agency, Xinhua, reported that the Chnag’e-4 experiment of growing plants on the moon had ended. Seeds of cotton, rape seed, and potato cuttings as well as eggs of the fruit fly had been carried to the moon in the recent landing of Chang’e-4. They were part of an experiment to see if terrestrial plants could be coaxed to grow in an enclosed and protected environment on the surface of the moon. The experiment was enclosed in a heated canister. Sunlight to stimulate plant growth was directed into the canister through a tube. Cameras were included in the canister to record the plant growth. Within days of the landing on the far side of the moon, the world was excited to learn that one of the cotton seeds had sprouted and its small stalk was the first plant to be cultivated on the moon’s surface. However, it was the only plant in the experiment to germinate and grow. The plant did not fully develop. Now that the lunar night, during which the dark side will not receive sunlight, has begun in the current phase of the moon, the experiment has been terminated.
The full article may be found at http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/15/c_137745505.htm
(Just_A_Note) postings are short articles regarding current, noteworthy events in science and being outdoors.