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. 2022 December 14 [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, the history of constant micrometeorite bombardment has 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]Fifty years ago, on the lunar surface in December 1972, [9]Apollo 17 astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to [10]repair one of their rover's fenders in an effort to keep the [11]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". Tomorrow's picture: Full Moon, Full Mars __________________________________________________________________ [12]< | [13]Archive | [14]Submissions | [15]Index | [16]Search | [17]Calendar | [18]RSS | [19]Education | [20]About APOD | [21]Discuss | [22]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell ([26]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [27]Specific rights apply. [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC, [32]NASA Science Activation & [33]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2212/AS17-137-20979.jpg 3. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-17 4. https://www.nasa.gov/ 5. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/lunar_outpost_3a.jpg 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_soil 7. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/spinoff/Measuring_Moon_Dust_to_Fight_Air_Pollution 8. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-apollo-17-lands-at-taurus-littrow 9. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-17 10. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/a17.outcam.html#1410956 11. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/183731main_image_feature_881_ys_full.jpg 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221214.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221215 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221216.html 23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 30. https://www.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 33. http://www.mtu.edu/