Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2022 December 14
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Lunar Dust and Duct Tape
                     Image Credit: [3]Apollo 17, [4]NASA

   Explanation: [5]Why is the Moon so dusty? On Earth, rocks are weathered
   by wind and water, creating soil and sand. On the Moon, the history of
   constant micrometeorite bombardment has blasted away at the rocky
   surface creating a layer of powdery [6]lunar soil or regolith. For the
   Apollo astronauts and their equipment, the pervasive, fine, [7]gritty
   dust was definitely a problem
   . [8]Fifty years ago, on the lunar surface in December 1972, [9]Apollo
   17 astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to [10]repair
   one of their rover's fenders in an effort to keep the [11]rooster tails
   of dust away from themselves and their gear. This picture reveals 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".

                  Tomorrow's picture: Full Moon, Full Mars
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [27]Specific rights apply.
              [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2212/AS17-137-20979.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-17
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/lunar_outpost_3a.jpg
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_soil
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/spinoff/Measuring_Moon_Dust_to_Fight_Air_Pollution
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-apollo-17-lands-at-taurus-littrow
   9. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-17
  10. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/a17.outcam.html#1410956
  11. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/183731main_image_feature_881_ys_full.jpg
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221214.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221215
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221216.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/