this post was submitted on 09 May 2024

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631

Moon dust (mander.xyz)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] ummthatguy 99 points 4 months ago

[–] [email protected] 43 points 4 months ago

I’m pretty sure everyone is allergic to having their skin and lungs rubbed with mica.

[–] xkforce 30 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Moon dust is functionally a lot like asbestos. It is composed of a sizeable amount of tiny shards of rock that aren't great for your lungs.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Yea, you should really consider that before breathing on the moon

[–] xkforce 9 points 4 months ago

Any lunar dust that they made contact with would have found its way into the lunar module for them to breathe in and be exposed to.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Isn't moon dust just sand?

[–] cynar 86 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's sand that has never been exposed to water or oxygen. This leaves various reactive chemicals on the surface that would normally be broken down. The lack of water also means the particles haven't been smoothed off as much. They are sharp and spiky.

The combination of these effects makes the dust quite unique, compared to earth dust.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It also reportedly smells like gunpowder.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Burned or unburned? They are two distinct smells.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

Burned, according to the astronauts. I don’t know if the exact mechanism has been published anywhere, but since spent gunpowder has been oxidized I imagine that’s what’s going on with the dust as well.

[–] vind 26 points 4 months ago (2 children)

50% SiO2, 15% Al2O3, 10% CaO, 10% MgO, 5% TiO2 and 5-15% iron

[–] 0110010001100010 46 points 4 months ago

And 100% reason to remember the name.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

All those oxides but the iron is pure? SUS.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Jack Schmidt = Anakin confirmed.

[–] rustydomino 2 points 4 months ago

More like Jack Schmidt = Cave Johnson

[–] Windex007 16 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

The sample size is at least a little bit bigger...

Some guy stole moon rocks (presumably still had moon dust on them) to bang his gf on them.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

better link: https://www.timesnownews.com/the-buzz/article/thad-roberts-the-nasa-intern-who-stole-lunar-rocks-to-have-sex-on-the-moon/748813

don't use amp links pls

[–] Quetzalcutlass 16 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Roberts was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his role in the Moonrock caper, as well as a separate offence of stealing dinosaur bones from a museum in Utah.

I'm afraid to ask what he did with the dinosaur bones!

[–] credo 6 points 4 months ago

Boned on bones, obviously.

[–] Windex007 7 points 4 months ago

Thank you so much

[–] Raxiel 15 points 4 months ago

So, if someone were to crash the moon into the earth to stop it escaping, as many as 1/12 of the population could experience a reduced quality of life?

Might need to consider not doing that I suppose.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

Not being allergic to finely graded rocks that have been bathing in radiation for billions of years seems more unlikely.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Here's a source for this: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/The_toxic_side_of_the_Moon

He's a climate change denier though.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

what'd be the smallest sample size that would yield a relevant result?

30? 1000?

[–] Gonzako 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Me. Just get me there

[–] Shellbeach 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Can we not... Just... Bring back some moon dust?

[–] TheBat 2 points 4 months ago

There's the possibility of contamination if we do that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

For reference: https://www.newsweek.com/last-man-walk-moon-allergic-lunar-dust-1449945

But. Moon dust is poisonous and gets everywhere.