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Lunar Dust: A Major Worry for Moon Visitors

Posted by timothy on from the applies-also-to-el-paso dept.

smooth wombat writes "Wired has a story which talks about a danger to possible future inhabitants of the Moon that is rarely brought up: the highly abrasive lunar dust. Unlike Earth, the Moon has no erosive capabilities to smooth the edges of rocks or dust. As a result the lunar dust has arms that stick out, like Velcro, and sticks to everything. As the astronauts who walked on the moon found out, the dust scratched lenses and corroded seals within hours. Some of the particles are only microns across which means once they get into your lungs, they stay there. This could cause a lung disease similar to silicosis."

5 of 464 comments (clear)

  1. Regardless by AtariAmarok · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Regardless, it is good to learn now that even when I migrate to a moon colony, I can go outside and club baby seals to death for fun and profit.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  2. Re:Fark by mark0 · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    You're joking, right? /. is regularly scooped by memepool. Its not a sad day, its a sad existence.

  3. Re:Lunar Dust Photos and Explanation by Total_Wimp · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I read down the page and

    "Scientists design 'bionic eye' that could someday help the visually disabled"

    And

    "Pope's death to boost sales of Brown's book"

    All of a sudden became:

    "Scietists design bionic Pope..."

    Damn, it's gone now. Oh well. If It was only my personal vision of the great sci-fi future, so be it.

    TW

  4. Re:Dictionary entry for lunar dust... by Moofie · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    So where does that leave the conservative slashdot fanboys with their heads up their asses?

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  5. Re:Live on the Moon? Thank you smokers! by Infinite+Entropy · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Wow, are you a fucking stupid troll. You like milk, ice cream, choclolate, yougurt? Where do you think all that milk comes from? Dairy farmers do more in a half hour than you do all week.