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.

                                2025 March 28
    [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, eons of
   constant micrometeorite bombardment have 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]On the lunar surface in December 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts
   Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to [9]repair one of their
   rover's fenders in an effort to keep the 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".

       Northern Hemisphere Alert : [10]March 29 Partial Solar Eclipse
                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC,
                         [31]NASA Science Activation
                           & [32]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2503/AS17-137-20979.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-17
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/dust-an-out-of-this-world-problem/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_soil
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/clps/electrodynamic-dust-shield-heading-to-moon-on-firefly-lander/
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-apollo-17-lands-at-taurus-littrow
   9. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/static/history/alsj/a17/a17v.1185833.mpg
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/mar-29-2025-eclipse/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250327.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250328
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250329.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  32. http://www.mtu.edu/