THE MOONS' DUSTY TERRAIN
Skeptics claim that the Apollo 11 Mission was faked because the
moon appears to be incredibly bright in photographs taken of it. The
idea behind this theory is this: the sun was on the opposite side of
the moon when Apollo 11 was on the moon. If the sun had not been on
the opposite side of the moon, the astronauts would have been
scorched from the intense heat the sun releases.
The skeptics have ignored two facts in this case. First, the sun
was the main source of illumination on the moon, and the astronauts
were protected from the sun's heat by specially designed suits. The
diagram below represents the position of the sun, the earth, and the
moon and reveals how the sun illuminates the moon. The arrows
represent light rays coming from the sun. The side facing the sun is
illuminated; the side away form the sun is not.
The astronauts' spacesuits were designed to provide the
astronauts with an Earthlike atmosphere while on the moon. The space
suits had cooling systems and oxygen tanks, giving the astronauts the
atmosphere they would have at home. The picture below is a diagram of
the Apollo spacesuit worn by the astronauts. If you follow the link
provided, you can access a virtual diagram of the suit which allows
you to select each part of the suit and explore what its purpose
was.
(Copy right cnn.com)
These suits protected the astronauts in such a way that Armstrong
and Aldrin could be on the Moons' surface, with the sun present, and
come to no harm.
Second, skeptics have ignored the fact that objects other than
the sun contribute to the moon's brightness. The objects which
contribute to this brightness are the earth, the moon itself, and the
astronauts' equipment. When the sun's light does not reach the moon,
the moon's illumination is caused by the earth. To a person standing
on the moon, the earth appears illuminated much as the moon does to
us. This illumination from the earth is known as "earthshine." Light
reflecting off of the Earth hits the moon, making it appear
bright.
The moons' illumination is also caused by light reflecting off of
particles and objects on the moons surface. The lunar surface
consists of dust which tends to reflect back in the direction from
where it came (this is known as heiligenschein). When light hits the
moon, it is then reflected off of the lunar dust. This light fills in
shadows on the moon. Also, light from the earth reflects off of the
instruments brought by the astronauts (i.e. the Lunar module).
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