Originally published on July 22, 2013 <br /><br />Private companies Moon Express and the International Lunar Observatory have announced plans to set up a 2m telescope on the moon to observe the galaxy. The smaller ILO-X, a 2kg telescope the size of a shoe-box, will be delivered to the moon aboard the inaugural mission of the Moon Express lander in 2015.<br /><br />The telescopes will be positioned on Malapert mountain at the lunar south pole. A position that offers sunlight for 90 percent of the time, and is free from atmospheric interference.<br /><br />The ILO-X will capture images of stars, planets and other galaxies and make them available to educators, researchers and the general public in an effort to make space exploration open to all.<br /><br />The full-sized 2m telescope is scheduled to be delivered by 2016.<br /><br />Moon Express has said it will also use the mission to explore the area around the lunar South Pole for mineral resources and water.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.<br /><br />For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:<br />https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:<br />http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Stay connected with us here:<br />Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS
