China to have its own MOON! Will launch artificial moon to light up streets by 2020: reports

The officials claimed that the artificial moon will be bright enough and can possible totally replace the use of street lights.

Image used for representational purpose/ Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

New Delhi: Reports about China planning to launch a complete moon of its own are doing rounds. The country aims to sort out the lighting issues of its biggest cities by launching a fake moon of its own. As per a report in The Telegraph UK, the officials in the city of Chengdu announced plans to place a satellite in orbit by 2020 capable of reflecting sunlight onto its streets at night. The officials claimed that the artificial moon will be bright enough and can possible totally replace the use of street lights. The remarks were first reported by CIF News which quoted the Wu Chunfeng the chairman of the city’s Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute, saying that the artificial moon, which has been undergoing testing for several years, will produce at least eight times more light than the real moon. He informed that the satellite would use a reflective coating to direct light to illuminate an area on earth of up to 50 square miles. However, the cost of the project was not revealed. As per reports, scientists have warned that the satellite could prove damaging for the wildlife and it may also disrupt the systems that have installed to observe the Earth’s atmosphere. However, some experts have said that since the light produced will be dusk-like, it won’t be harmful to the wildlife.