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View Full Version : NASA is opening a 50-year-old sample of Moon rock!



bogeyman
11th March 2022, 20:14
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/60677041


It's hoped that by understanding how Moon rock was collected in earlier missions, it'll make it easier for the next team of astronauts who will visit the surface.

"Understanding the geologic history and evolution of the Moon samples at the Apollo landing sites will help us prepare for the types of samples that may be encountered during Artemis," said Thomas Zurbuchen who is the associate administrator of Nasa's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

"Artemis aims to bring back cold and sealed samples from near the lunar South Pole. This is an exciting learning opportunity to understand the tools needed for collecting and transporting these samples, for analysing them, and for storing them on Earth for future generations of scientists."

It shows how little we do know about our nearest neighbour.

Bill Ryan
11th March 2022, 20:36
When this happened in 2009, the "moon rock" was found to be a chunk of fossilized wood. :)


https://nbcnews.com/id/wbna32581790

‘Moon rock’ in museum is just petrified wood

The Dutch national museum said Thursday that one of its prized possessions, a rock supposedly brought back from the moon by U.S. astronauts, is just a piece of petrified wood.
(read more here (https://nbcnews.com/id/wbna32581790))

Le Chat
12th March 2022, 11:24
When this happened in 2009, the "moon rock" was found to be a chunk of fossilized wood. :)


https://nbcnews.com/id/wbna32581790

‘Moon rock’ in museum is just petrified wood

The Dutch national museum said Thursday that one of its prized possessions, a rock supposedly brought back from the moon by U.S. astronauts, is just a piece of petrified wood.
(read more here (https://nbcnews.com/id/wbna32581790))

To be fair, the sample and label doesn't say anything about it being moon rock, or even it being from the moon....

mizo
12th March 2022, 15:19
Well I hope it doesn't end up like the scenario from a sci-fi novel I read many years ago -'Moonseed' -by Stephen Baxter.

snippet: Henry travels to Edinburgh to investigate a large Moon rock gathered by the last Apollo mission 30 years ago and left untouched since. Silvery "Moonseed'' dust escapes from the lab, however, and infects'' the ancient volcanic rocks underlying the city, converting them into novel crystalline forms using superstring energies. Within days, Edinburgh is engulfed by volcanic eruptions. Moonseed spreads rapidly around the globe, chewing up the planet's crust

Then again that would be a apt distraction from what's happening around the world... ;)