These probes have done everything from taking pictures, to returning lunar soil samples back to Earth—838-lbs of rocks have been taken! 2. Moon formation: Was it a 'hit and run' accident? Lunar particles are sharp, never erode, and are made up mostly of meteorite pieces. After striking plans for a 10,000-lb mobile lunar lab, NASA went with the 463-lb (77-lbs on the Moon) buggy. 2) Its surface is home to mountains, huge craters and flat planes called ‘seas’ made of hardened lava. One famous example is Fallen Astronaut, a 3.3-inch aluminum model placed on the surface by the crew of the Apollo 15. The accepted theory since the 1980s is that the Moon arose as a result of a collision between the Earth and Theia 4.5 billion years ago. Charles Duke was the youngest person to walk on the Moon, aged 36 in 1972. The study also found the melted … These are known as transient lunar phenomena (TLP), and many of the reports, dating from 1540 to 1969, have been cataloged by NASA and amateur astronomers. But the difference, some say, could be explained by material absorbed by the Earth after the Moon formed. Most people think the Moon is, well, a moon, but there is some talk that it should actually be classified as a planet. On the back it reads: "This is the family of astronaut Charlie Duke from planet Earth who landed on the moon on April 20, 1972." Intended—according to the accompanying plaque—to commemorate those who have died while pursuing space exploration, the sculpture was created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, but despite the accolade of having the first sculpture on the moon, Van Hoeydonck disputes its use, stating that he i… The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was Luna 1 in 1959. The launch of the Soviet Union's Luna 1 on Jan. 2, 1959, marked the first step in a decades-long journey that would eventually unlock some of the secrets of Earth’s satellite. A host of less exciting space garbage litter the Moon, everything from rocket stages to urine bags dot the surface. That’s as far as we can go. Pickering, discoverer of the ninth moon of Saturn (Phoebe), observed certain peculiar dark areas that seemed to move across the floor inside the crater "Eratosthenes" (pronounced "erra toss then eez). A family photograph. Charles Duke of the Apollo 16 mission left a photo of himself, his wife, and two kids in 1972, and it sits on the moon to this day. In addition, we operate more than 100 attractions in 11 countries around the world. Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a framed family photo on the Moon’s surface. Here are a few things the mission is designed to do. From descent stages to Moon buggies, there’s plenty of technical equipment that has been left on the Moon. The researchers claim that their discovery confirms the theory that the Moon was created by just such a cataclysmic collision. China has landed two rovers on the surface, including the first-ever landing on Moon's far side in 2019. Clifton Curtis “C.C.” Williams Jr.’s wings are up there. The space-traveling snapshot has … The composition of the two bodies is similar, which is part of why scientists think the moon may have formed from a large meteor impact breaking off a piece of the Earth while it was still forming. * What the astronauts really saw on the moon. An alternative, controversial, theory proposed by Prof Rob de Meijer of Groningen University in the Netherlands is that the Earth's crust and mantle was blown into space by an accumulation of nuclear material 2,900km (1,800 miles) below the surface. Ripley’s has also interviewed martian in training Alyssa Carson you can read about her in our recently released Fun Facts & Silly Stories: ONE ZANY DAY! Read about our approach to external linking. Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a photo of his family, as well as a United States Air Force commemorative medallion on the surface of the moon … It should come as no surprise that the Apollo astronauts left a few things behind after landing on the moon. Researchers find evidence of the world that crashed into Earth billions of years ago to form the Moon. Though only 12 men have walked on the moon, there are ten descent stages and six ascent stages sitting on the surface of the Moon. Such flashes of light and color could be attributed to meteor impacts or … comprehensive catalogue of human artifacts on the Moon based on the currently available data. 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