Post by: thedoc on 06/07/2016 16:50:03
Hello Chris:
Congratulations on fifteenth anniversary of Naked Scientists (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/)!
I have an unanswered question lingering for a long time!
We all have heard of controversies and conspiracies around the moon landing back in 1969. There are so many theories which suggest it never happened because of the scientific factors around the angle of the pictures shared, position of sun, unexplained shadow and so on.
I have been asking this question myself for a long time. We know that when the crew landed on the Moon they left behind few things like landing gear. Unless they are totally covered by the sand and dust storms, we should be able see them again. With the availability of all those high powered cameras and satellites flying around the earth, and even Hubble telescope in our orbit, why can't we take a picture of those debris and close the controversy for good?!
Hope you can answer this in your next episode.
Thanks!
Prasad S
What do you think?
Post by: chris on 07/07/2016 16:34:09
The moon landings did happen!
There are several strands of "evidence" (apart from the samples of moon rock given to countries all around the world by the successful returning teams).
Most compelling are the independent images of the landing sites captured by the European Space Agency's "SMART-1" probe, an ion-drive powered craft launched in 2003; part of its mission was to scrutinise the Lunar surface, which results in the capturing of images of the infrastructure left behind more than 40 years previously:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1218958/Probe-photos-Apollo-landing-sites-reveal-man-DID-walk-Moon.html
The other strand of evidence is the mirror positioned on the moon from which a laser beam is reflected to measure the Earth-Moon distance on a daily basis. This is how we know that the moon is moving about 2cm further from the Earth each year.
So, in sum, there are personal accounts, images and independently gathered data that all support the claim that men went to the moon in the 1960s and 70s.
Post by: evan_au on 07/07/2016 19:19:04
Quote from: Prasad
Unless they are totally covered by the sand and dust stormsUnlike Mars, the Moon does not have enough atmosphere to move grains of sand.
There is another phenomena, where it seems that sunlight at dawn can electrostatically charge minute specks of dust, and elevate them above the Lunar surface. I guess this would eventually fill in footprints.
It is possible that a meteor impact could obliterate one of the landing sites, but is unlikely to damage all of them.
Post by: syhprum on 07/07/2016 20:03:53
Post by: RD on 07/07/2016 23:02:00
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1218958/Probe-photos-Apollo-landing-sites-reveal-man-DID-walk-Moon.htmlBetter images here ...
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-sites.html
Post by: chris on 13/04/2017 22:05:23
Better images here ...
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-sites.html
Thanks for this reference, RD; those images from NASA really are amazing, even to someone who is not a lunar-landing conspiracist.
Post by: neilep on 14/04/2017 11:31:51
Screen Shot 2017-04-14 at 11.30.28.png (171.3 kB . 600x280 - viewed 6224 times)A true bonafide non doctored photo of me just moments ago on the moon actually, for real !!
Post by: chris on 14/04/2017 11:32:35
Post by: chris on 14/04/2017 11:33:10
Post by: chris on 14/04/2017 11:34:04
Is that a "Starbucks" cup in the bin there?
Post by: neilep on 14/04/2017 11:35:33
Post by: Bored chemist on 14/04/2017 15:57:52
To see the moon in that much detail from earth you need a very good telescope- far better than any individual is going to be able to afford.
So the only telescopes that will ever see the moon will be owned by the likes of NASA.
Imagine that NASA does this, points it at the moon, and shows the pictures.
The loony types who already don't believe NASA went to the moon aren't going to believe the pictures, precisely because they are from NASA.
Post by: PmbPhy on 14/04/2017 21:46:13
Ther's still a problem.Its more than that. Conspiracy theorists have a very strong tendency to disregard anything that disagrees with what they already believe. I'd wager that none of them are real scientists since their thinking is so far from that of scientists. It's not as if they use the scientific method. With these anti-moon landing nuts, I'd bet they'd disagree under all conditions other than actually going to the moon and see the landing sites of the Apollo missions.
To see the moon in that much detail from earth you need a very good telescope- far better than any individual is going to be able to afford.
So the only telescopes that will ever see the moon will be owned by the likes of NASA.
Imagine that NASA does this, points it at the moon, and shows the pictures.
The loony types who already don't believe NASA went to the moon aren't going to believe the pictures, precisely because they are from NASA.