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For thousands of years, the moon has inspired humans from afar, but more than 200,000 miles (321,868 kilometers) away, its lighthouse in Earth’s night sky has remained just out of reach. All that changed on September 13, 1959, when the Soviet Union’s unmanned spacecraft Luna 2 landed on the moon.
A crater was created when the Luna 2 spacecraft landed on the moon between the Imbrium and Serenitatis regions. NASA.
The pivotal moment of lunar dust marked the beginning of humanity’s lunar exploration efforts, and some scientists now believe it marks the start of a new geological epoch, the Lunar Anthropocene. This suggests that it was also the beginning of a certain period.Go to comment papers published in journals natural earth science December 8th.
“This idea is very similar to the discussion of the Anthropocene on Earth, which is exploring how much of an impact humans have had on the planet,” said lead author Justin, a postdoctoral researcher at the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas.・Mr. Holcomb stated. In a statement.
“On Earth, the consensus is that the Anthropocene began at some point in the past, whether it was hundreds of thousands of years ago or in the 1950s,” Holcomb said. “Similarly, on the Moon, we argue that the lunar Anthropocene has already begun, but until we can measure significant lunar halos caused by human activities, large-scale damage and We want to prevent that delay in recognition, but by then it will be too late.”
Scientists have been trying for years to declare a definitive Anthropocene on Earth, and recently the following view has been released: New evidence from the scene in Canada Some researchers believe this is the beginning of a transformative chapter in Earth’s history.
The idea of a lunar Anthropocene comes at a time when private space agencies and commercial organizations are showing renewed interest in returning to the moon, or even landing on its surface for the first time.
And the authors argue that the lunar environment, already shaped by humans at the beginning of the lunar Anthropocene, will change even more dramatically as exploration increases.
Outdoor enthusiasts and national park visitors are probablyleave no trace” — respect and preserve the natural environment, leaving things as they were found and disposing of waste appropriately.
However, the moon is littered with traces of exploration.
Since Luna 2’s landing, more than 100 spacecraft have crashed or made soft landings on the lunar surface, and “humans have caused surface disturbances on at least 58 additional lunar surfaces,” the paper said. Landing on the moon is incredibly difficult, as numerous crashes have left their mark and created new craters.
NASA/GSFC/ASU
Humanity has left its mark on the moon in a variety of ways, including impact craters left by spacecraft, the footprints of lunar rovers, footprints of astronauts, scientific experiments, and even family photos brought by astronauts. I did.
The Cold War space race sparked a series of lunar explorations, most of which have been unmanned since then. NASA’s Apollo program first flew humans around the moon in the 1960s, and Apollo 11 in 1969 landed the first astronauts safely on the moon. Ultimately, 12 of his NASA astronauts walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972.
With the arrival of humans, they left behind numerous objects including experimental scientific equipment, spaceship parts, flags, photographs, and even more. Golf ballThe newspaper said there were bags containing human waste and religious texts.
Seen from Earth, the moon appears unchanged. After all, we don’t have a protective atmosphere or magnetosphere like our world to sustain life. The moon has no way to protect itself from space rocks, so micrometeorites regularly crash into the surface.
Declaring an Anthropocene epoch on the moon could reveal that human exploration is changing the moon in ways that don’t occur naturally, the researchers said.
NASA/JSC
Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan drove a lunar rover across the moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. It’s been more than 50 years and he’s still on the moon.
“Cultural processes are starting to outweigh the natural background of geological processes on the Moon,” Holcomb says. “These processes involve the movement of deposits called ‘regolith’ on the lunar surface. These processes typically include things like meteor impacts and mass transfer events. However, considering the effects of rovers, landers, and human movements, they will significantly disturb the regolith. ”
The Moon also has delicate exosphere-like features consisting of dust, gas, and ice within permanently shadowed regions, which are vulnerable and cannot be disturbed by continued exploration. The authors state in their paper that there is a possibility that “Future missions should consider mitigating negative impacts on the lunar environment.”
A new space race is heating up as countries set their sights on landing robotic and manned missions to explore the moon’s south pole and other unexplored and hard-to-reach lunar regions.
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission historic successful landing On the moon in 2023 Russian Luna 25 Spaceships and Japanese companies Ispace’s “HAKUTO-R” Both landers crashed. this year, Multiple missions are heading to the mooninclude Japanese lander “Moon Sniper” It is expected to attempt landing on January 19th.
Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine spacecraft launched this week. Navajo opposition The discovery that the vehicle was carrying human remains that customers had paid to send to the lunar surface has sparked a new debate over who controls the moon. but, propulsion problem The realization hours after liftoff means Peregrine will not be able to attempt a lunar landing, and its fate is currently uncertain.
The purpose of NASA’s Artemis program is to Return humans to the moon in 2026. The agency’s ambitions include establishing a sustained human presence on the moon, with habitats supported by resources such as water ice at the moon’s south pole. China’s space ambitions Including the moon landing.
“In the context of a new space race, the lunar landscape will look very different in 50 years,” Holcomb said. “With multiple countries participating, many challenges arise. Our goal is to dispel the myth that the Moon is stationary and to emphasize the importance of our impact, not just in the past, but now and in the future.” We aim to start a conversation about the impact on the moon before it’s too late.”
Human footprints on the moon have come to be seen as essentially artifacts that require some protection. Researchers have long expressed a desire to preserve the Apollo landing sites and catalog the items left behind in order to preserve their “space heritage.” However, this type of storage method difficult to take off This is because no country or organization “owns” the moon.
“A recurring theme in our research is the importance of lunar material and lunar footprints as valuable resources, similar to the archaeological record we strive to preserve,” Holcomb said. Told. “The concept of the Lunar Anthropocene aims to raise awareness and reflection about our impact on the lunar surface and our impact on the preservation of historical artifacts.”
NASA/JSC
During the Apollo 11 mission, the astronauts’ boots left imprints on the moon’s surface.
The Apollo 11 moon landing marked the first time humans set foot on another world. The footprints left by astronauts in the moon’s dust are perhaps the most symbolic of humanity’s ongoing journey, which in the future will likely include planets like Mars, researchers say. Ta.
“As archaeologists, we recognize the footprints on the moon as an extension of humanity’s journey out of Africa and a pivotal milestone in the existence of our species,” Holcomb said. Told. “These traces are intertwined with an overarching story of evolution. Within this framework, we are inviting not only planetary scientists but also archaeologists and human beings who might not normally participate in discussions about planetary science. We are also trying to attract the interest of academics.”