Why is the Moon dusty [
http://cass.jsc.nas… A11_Experiments_LDD.html ]? On Earth, rocks are weathered by wind and water, creating soil and sand. On the Moon, the long history of micrometeorite [
http://www.hawastso… ] bombardment has blasted away at the rocky surface [
http://www-curator.… ] creating a layer of powdery lunar soil or regolith [
http://elvis.neep.w… ]. This lunar regolith could be a scientific [
http://elvis.neep.w… ] and industrial [
http://elvis.neep.w… ] bonanza. But for the Apollo astronauts and their equipment [
http://cass.jsc.nas… ], the pervasive, fine, gritty dust was definitely a problem. On the lunar surface [
http://www.hq.nasa.… ] in December 1972, Apollo 17 [
http://antwrp.gsfc.… ] astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to repair one of their lunar rover's fenders in an effort [
http://www.hq.nasa.… a17/a17.eva2prep.html ] to keep the "rooster tails" of dust away from themselves and their gear. This picture reveals [
http://images.jsc.n… ] the wheel and fender of their dust covered rover along with the ingenious application of spare maps, clamps, and a grey strip of "duct tape".
explanation
Why is the Moon dusty [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo11/ A11_Experiments_LDD.html ]? On Earth, rocks are weathered by wind and water, creating soil and sand. On the Moon, the long history of micrometeorite [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/edu/micromet.htm ] bombardment has blasted away at the rocky surface [ http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar.htm ] creating a layer of powdery lunar soil or regolith [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/9301/9301.html ]. This lunar regolith could be a scientific [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/FALL97/LEC19/lecture19.html ] and industrial [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/FALL97/LEC20/lecture20.html ] bonanza. But for the Apollo astronauts and their equipment [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_science.html ], the pervasive, fine, gritty dust was definitely a problem. On the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] in December 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970905.html ] astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to repair one of their lunar rover's fenders in an effort [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ a17/a17.eva2prep.html ] to keep the "rooster tails" of dust away from themselves and their gear. This picture reveals [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075959.htm ] the wheel and fender of their dust covered rover along with the ingenious application of spare maps, clamps, and a grey strip of "duct tape".
Explanation
false