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Lunar Dust: A Major Worry for Moon Visitors

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."

7 of 464 comments (clear)

  1. You have given me alot to think about by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I will keep that in mind the next time I visit the friggin moon.

  2. Let's send OSHA! by Ikester8 · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...and get 'em off this planet!

    --
    That's the last time I run code posted in somebody's sig...
  3. the real reason.... by 808paulson · · Score: 0, Troll

    The moon landings were FAKED

  4. Scratched Lenses by greysky · · Score: 0, Troll

    Oh great, doesn't this give more credibility to the lunatics (no pun intended) that insist that the lunar landing never happened? I mean, if the lunar dust is so corrosive to lenses, then how did all those lunar landing photos come out so perfectly? As an amateur photog, I can attest to how difficult it is to get a photo to look as good as those the lunar landing team took did.

  5. Re:Dictionary entry for lunar dust... by TheAdventurer · · Score: -1, Troll

    Politics:

    Irrational and an insult to intelligent people

    see: liberal slashdot fanboys with heads up asses

  6. Well, that's better than... by kiddailey · · Score: -1, Troll


    Lunar dust mites (loo-near duhst mytes)n.
    Small, ugly tick-like creatures that cause allergic reactions.
    See Democrats.

  7. Re:Look at me, I'm a panic artist in tinfoil! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Notice the complete lack of a rebuttle against the 16 cell argument.