Moon Landing

By Ben T.

Did it happen?

• Of course they landed on the moon. Everything that skeptics have come up with has a converse statement to prove they were there. Personally I think that the Americans had the technology to take their shuttle to the moon and walk the moon while they were there. The rest of this powerpoint will be dedicated to showing that 8 of the skeptics biggest problems with the moon landing are wrong.

Flag Myth

Skeptics- Say that the flag can’t be waving due to the lack of wind on the moon.

What is taken as truth- The inertia from the astronauts placing the flag in the moon kept it moving as well as the rods in the flag being bent.

Final decision- Personally I think that the astronauts are telling the truth because could work. the tests show that what the astronauts said could be true when in the vacuum environment.

Missing Cameraman Myth

Skeptics- There was only two people who walked the moon that day but yet they were both in some of the pictures so who took the picture?

What is taken as truth- The cameras were mounted to the astronauts chests.

Final decision- Both cases are plausible but when it comes down to it the camera would have to be mounted to the astronaut and thereforee there would be no reason for a cameraman.

Starless Sky Myth

Skeptics- Say that the astronauts couldn’t have made a comment on the stars because the background in the pictures is pure black.

What is taken as truth- The moon reflects sunlight and creates a glare that would make it hard for the camera to see the stars. Also the camera settings that they used limited background light.

Final decision- All the evidence seems to point to the astronauts seeing stars. Common sense says that they could see stars when they are out in space.

Lunar Lander Myth

Skeptics- Say that the undisturbed soil under the Lunar Lander is impossible because the descent would have created a large dust cloud and a large crater.

What is taken as truth- The Lander's thrusters were pulled back before it had enough time to hover and create a crater.

Final decision- I believe that the dust was probably kicked up a little bit but it wouldn’t have created a crater like the skeptics say it would have.

Odd Shadow MythSkeptics- Aldrin is seen in the shadow of the ladder

but yet he is still clearly visible as well as shadows not being parallel to each other and some objects in the shadow are well lit creating the suspicion of studio cameras.

What is taken as truth- That the multiple light sources are the sun, reflected light from the earth, and sunlight reflecting off of the lunar module, spacesuits and the moons surface. Also the unparallel shadows are said to be created by the dips in the moon’s surface.

Final decision- This one seems a little fishy but I still have to go with NASA’s description.

Perfect Boot Print MythSkeptics- Say that such a good print can’t be created

on the moon because it’s so dry and it must have been wet sand.

What is taken as truth- The moon dust is a fine powder that can be compacted into the boot shape easily and will retain that shape due to the vacuum on the moon.

Final decision- I believe NASA on what they say about what the moon surface is made up of and for that reason the boot print is plausible.

Left Behind Objects Myth

Skeptics- Say that the object left on the moon in the pictures are unable to be seen by the powerful telescopes such as the Hubble so they must not be there.

What is taken as truth- Even with the most powerful telescope on earth the smallest thing that you can see on the moon would be the size of a house.

Final decision- NASA has a good point and I believe that they are right and the objects are definitely there.

Lighting Myth

Skeptics- There are odd light reflections coming off of Buzz Aldrin’s foil that he was setting up. These reflections were produced by studio lighting.

What is taken as truth- It’s highly unlikely that NASA would release a picture with traces of studio lights after spending so much money on the project. The lights are just lens flares.

Final decision- There is no way that those lights are studio lights and I’m sure it was just lens flares.

Bibliography

• "PHOTOS: 8 Moon-Landing Hoax Myths -- Busted." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/photogalleries/apollo-moon-landing-hoax-pictures/photo8.html>.