For 50 years, researchers and research groups from around the world have been eager to find out detailed information about a particular planet. This is no coincidence, because many dream to find out the origin and significance of other planetoids and celestial bodies. What is lunar soil and what does it look like? You can find out this and much more by reading this article.
Earth satellite general information
It is no secret that the Moon is a natural satellite of our planet. It is one of the brightest in the sky. The distance between the Earth and its natural satellite is more than 300 thousand kilometers. Surprisingly, the Moon is the only object outside the Earth that man has visited.
The Earth and the Moon are often called paired celestial. This is due to the fact that their mass and size are quite close indicators. On the moon, studies have been repeatedly conducted. It is proved that the force of gravity acts there. On the surface of a natural satellite, a person can easily turn a small car.
Many are interested in what moon actually is. It revolves around the earth. Depending on the position of the natural satellite, you can see it in completely different ways. The moon makes a full circle around the Earth in 27 days.
Each of us saw darker or bluer patches on the moon. What is it really? Many years ago it was believed that these were the so-called lunar seas. This concept exists today. But in fact, these are petrified areas through which lava erupted before. According to research, this happened many billions of years ago. Consider below what is called lunar soil.
In 1897, the American geologist first used the term "regolith." Today it is used to determine lunar soil.
Regolith color
Regolith is lunar soil. It has been studied for many years. The main question that researchers from all over the world are trying to answer is: is it possible to grow anything on such soil.
What is the color of the lunar soil? Each of us can safely say that the moon has a silver-yellow color. That is how we see her from our planet. However, this is not at all true. According to researchers, the lunar soil is close to black - a dark brown color. It should be noted that to determine the color of the soil on the territory of a natural satellite, you should not focus on the photographs taken there. It's no secret that cameras slightly distort the real color.
The thickness of the soil on the moon
The uppermost layer of the moon is regolithic. Soil studies are important for the creation of drawings and the further construction of bases. It is believed that the lunar soil arises as a result of filling old craters with newly formed ones. The thickness of the soil is calculated by the ratio of the depth of the so-called sea and its bulk. The presence of stones in the crater is associated with the content of rock formations in it. Thanks to the information provided in the article, we can conclude that the thickness of the regolithic layer on the Moon differs depending on the territory studied.
Unfortunately, today it is impossible to explore the entire surface of the moon. Nevertheless, methods already exist that allow one to study a sufficiently large area of a natural satellite.
Chemical composition
Lunar soil contains a large number of chemical trace elements. Among them are silicon, oxygen, iron, titanium, aluminum, calcium and magnesium. Information on the composition of the soil was obtained through methods of remote and x-ray spectroscopy. It is worth noting that there are several ways to study the lunar soil. Their main problem is the separation of attention on the age of regolith and its composition.
The negative effects of moon dust on the human body
Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have studied the pros and cons of planned exploration and relocation to the moon. They proved that moon dust is unusually dangerous to the human body. It is known that the so-called dust storms are activated once every two weeks. Scientists have also proven that regular inhalation of moon dust can lead to serious illness.
On the surface of the lungs, there are special fibers on which all dust is collected. In the future, the body gets rid of it with the help of a cough. It is worth noting that too small particles do not attach to the fibers. The human body is not adapted to the negative effects of moon dust due to its small size. Scientists believe that this factor should be taken into account when developing and building bases on the surface of a natural satellite.
The negative impact of dust, which creates storms on the surface of a natural satellite, was confirmed by the Apollo 17 lunar expedition. One of the astronauts, who was part of it, after some time spent on the moon, began to complain of poor health and fever. It was found that the deterioration in health was due to inhalation of moon dust, which was on board with the suits. The astronaut was not faced with complications thanks to filters installed on the ship, which cleaned the air as soon as possible.
Dark side exploration
More recently, China presented to the world its plan to study the surface of the moon. According to preliminary data, two years later, a new astronomical device will be installed on a natural satellite, which will allow for a number of studies. The peculiarity is that it will be located on the dark side of the moon. The device will study the geological conditions on the surface of a natural satellite.
Another point in the plan is the location of the radio telescope. To date, radio broadcasts from the Earth are not available on the dark side of the satellite.
Organic matter in the composition of the lunar soil
After one of the Apollo missions, it was revealed that the lunar soil brought from the expedition contains organic substances, namely amino acids. It is no secret that they are involved in the formation of proteins and are an important factor in the development of all living organisms on Earth.
Scientists have proved that lunar soil is not suitable for the development of all life forms known to us. There are four versions of the appearance of amino acids in the composition of the lunar soil. According to scientists, they could be on the moon, delivered from Earth along with astronauts. According to other versions, these are gas emissions, the solar wind and asteroids.
After a series of studies, scientists proved that, most likely, amino acids got into the composition of the lunar soil due to pollution from the Earth, and this was also facilitated by the fall of asteroids on the surface of a natural satellite.
The first flights to the moon
In January 1959, a rocket was launched in the Soviet Union , which launched the Luna-1 automatic interplanetary station onto the flight path to the moon. This is the first device that has reached the second space velocity.
Already in September, the Luna-2 automatic interplanetary station was launched. Unlike the first, she reached the celestial body, and also delivered a pennant with the emblem of the USSR.
In less than a month, the third automatic interplanetary station was launched into space. Her weight was more than 200 kilograms. On its body were solar panels. Within half an hour, the station automatically took more than 20 pictures of the moon using the built-in camera. Thanks to this, humanity first saw the back side of a natural satellite. It was in October 1959 that people found out which moon actually was.
Magma on the surface of a celestial body
In one of the latest studies of the moon, channels with frozen magma were revealed under its upper layer. Scientists say that thanks to such a finding, we can find out the real age of our natural satellite. It is worth noting that to date, the chronology of the appearance of the moon is unknown.
The thickness of the lunar crust is 43 kilometers. Recent studies of the moon have shown that it is permeated by underground channels. Scientists suggest that they formed almost immediately after the emergence of a natural satellite. Almost all the channels are filled with frozen magma. At their locations, higher gravitational fields are present. According to preliminary data, the age of underground channels is more than four billion years. Such a finding is an impetus for further studies of the natural satellite.
Land for sale on the moon
Recently, a large number of agencies have appeared that offer to buy samples of lunar soil or even acquire land on another planet. An agent who can provide you with such services can be found in absolutely any country. It's no secret that celebrities and politicians love to buy land on other planets and celestial bodies. In our article, you can find out whether it is worth buying a site on the moon or is this another invention of scammers.
Today there are a large number of agencies that offer anyone who wishes to purchase a site on the moon or a lunar passport. They argue that after some time, humanity will be able to seamlessly plow the expanses of space and travel to one or another celestial body. For this reason, according to agents, buying a land plot today is profitable and convenient.
The sale of land on other planets and celestial bodies began 30 years ago. Then the American Dennis Hope found flaws in international laws and declared himself the owner of all the celestial bodies that revolve around the Sun. He filed an application for registration of ownership and reported this to all states. The next step was to register your own agency. In the Russian Federation, more than 100 owners of land on the Moon are registered.
In fact, Dennis Hope’s agency was registered in Nevada. In this state, there are a huge number of laws that allow you to draw up any document for a certain amount. Thus, Dennis Hope does not sell the right to property, but the most ordinary beautifully designed waste paper. Based on this, more than one person can not claim land on the moon. This is confirmed by the bill adopted on January 27, 1967. After analyzing all the information that is given in our article, we can conclude that buying a land plot on the Moon is a waste of money.
To summarize
The moon is a natural satellite of the earth. Scientists have been researching it for many years. During this time, they found out that the moon has the same dimensions as our planet, and moon dust is unusually dangerous to health. Today, the purchase of land in the natural satellite is quite popular. However, we do not recommend making such an acquisition, since it is a waste of money.