Re: The Lunar Landings

[Merddin Emrys]

  But now I realise that in zero gravity, dust will not 'settle'
Instead, once disturbed, it will continue to move away from the point it was disturbed.
That is the sort of answer I like, concise and unequivocal.

The moon is not zero gravity though, I think it is about one sixth of the earth, just to confuse matters a little more! 

[Ian]

But now I realise that in zero gravity, dust will not 'settle'
Instead, once disturbed, it will continue to move away from the point it was disturbed.

it is about one sixth of the earth

The gravity, as such, isn't the issue, F; the really important factor is the lack of any discernible atmosphere. On Earth, our constantly changing air currents  create eddies and vortices and causes all manner of strange things to happen, but on the Moon - with almost no atmosphere to speak of - each particle follows the same trajectory as its neighbour. Probably looks delightful :-))

[Yorkie]

Pleased that it has been enjoyed by two of you (and maybe Ian also)!   I also enjoyed reading it but am still somewhat sceptical!   
Hey Ho,  Think I'll book a trip with Sir Richard Branson!   Or I would, had the mid-week Lottery not by-passed me again, as usual!   

[Ian]

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the article, but please bear in mind that it is only the views of one individual.

I'd disagree with the use of the word 'views';  what he offers is - in the main - verifiable fact to back up his assertions. One big problem he has - in common with  every other serious scientist who's attempted to counter the conspiracists - is that he's had to condense his rebuttals into the same length and complexity as the original assertions in the Fox movie (I refuse to say 'documentary). One instance of this is the 'where were the stars?' FAQ. It requires a reasonable knowledge of solar radiation, reflectivity  coefficients and so on to establish that the sun's glare on the moon would have been far, far more intense than anything seen here on Earth.  Effectively, the Sun is a continuously exploding thermonuclear bomb, and both our several miles of atmosphere and our magnetosphere do a credible job of attenuating its otherwise fatal impact on us.  With none of that to protect the astronauts, they were equipped with heavily shielded and darkened helmets, the combination of which would render relatively faint starlight invisible against the intense and unwavering visible radiation from the Sun.

[Tosh]

Here it comes again,,,,,,,, Wednesday evening, 8-00 pm, Channel 5.
Was it a hoax?
Of course it wasn't, I remember it well.

[Merddin Emrys]

Yes, Wednesday evening was real! 

[Tosh]

If you look closely in the far distant lunar landscape you might spot a Triumph Herald parked in the shadows.
The colour of the car helps it to blend in with the surroundings.
It's a mystery alright.
This is a definite programme for Fester to watch, again.
It might even become a major talking point, who knows?

[Merddin Emrys]

If you look closely in the far distant lunar landscape you might spot a Triumph Herald parked in the shadows.

Yes and Hank Marvin is driving it! 

[Tosh]

I thought it was Elvis.
 

[Ian]

Last Lunar landing was 40 years ago today...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/11/apollo_17_40th_anniversary/

[DaveR]

This could be a tricky one....if you believe man never landed on the Moon... 

A new company run by former NASA executives announced Thursday that it will send you to the moon by 2020.

Round-trip cost for two: $1.5 billion, which the CEO called a relative bargain.

"We're selling to nations, corporations and individuals," Alan Stern, also president of Golden Spike Company, told Space.com. "Get in line — and I think it's going to be a long one."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2012/12/06/moon-private-missions-golden-spike-billion-dollars/1752287/

[Merddin Emrys]

We watched the programme last night and now I'm 50/50 on if it was faked or not! Before I was 99 per cent certain that they did land on the moon!   

[Gwynant]

             I entirely agree with you on that M.E. Before I saw that programme I was 90% to 10% sure that there were lunar landings, now I'm only 60% to 40% in agreement. Although the programme was tilted towards proving that they were faked, and even though the photos of the debris etc. left on the moon taken by NASA from Earth through telescopes could be faked (as they were issued by NASA), there were a great many people involved in the  mission control etc who could have spoken out by now.  As the final comments on the programme stated, I guess we will have to wait till another Nation lands there (besides the USA!) to get decisive proof on the matter.

[Ian]

The Chinese already have taken pics of the debris.

[Merddin Emrys]

The problem is that we can trust no one! When both sides produce very convincing arguments who do you believe?