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Toxic Moondust Bounces Like A Cannonball

Posted by Zonk on from the all-i-want-for-christmas dept.

Jotii writes "A new NASA article says that moondust fetched to Earth by Apollo 17 is now being studied. From the article: 'Zen-like, he studies the a single mote of dust suspended inside a basketball-sized vacuum chamber for as long as 10 to 12 days.' Moondust is apparently very static, and bounces like cannonballs. Another article from NASA emphasizes the dust's toxicity: 'In some ways, lunar dust resembles the silica dust on Earth that causes silicosis, a serious disease.'"

3 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Re:If you find yourself breathing moondust... by KingSkippus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah.

    Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicolunarconiosis.

  2. statically bouncing by xfletch · · Score: 5, Funny
    I for one welcome our statically bouncing moondust neighbours

    I think the poster has grasped the less than clear point that 'bouncing like cannonballs' means not bouncing at all. Perhaps 'bounces like watermelons' would have been better, but then again 'melons' and 'bouncing' in the same sentence may have distracted some of our younger readers...

  3. Re:Zen-like, he studies the a single mote of dust. by lxs · · Score: 5, Funny

    Moondust bounces high
    Suspended in emptiness
    A scientist coughs