The moon is rusting, and Earth is to blame

CNET ^ | Sept. 2, 2020 6:36 p.m. PT | Mark Serrels

[BenLurkin]

So why does rust currently exist on the moon? There are a number of factors, but Earth is partly to blame.

To begin with, water exists on the moon in small quantities. Ice water exists in lunar craters, but that water exists on the far side of the moon, far from where the rust occurred. The current theory is that dust particles that often hit the moon are helping release water molecules, mixing those water molecules with iron on the surface.

Then there's the oxygen part. That's where Earth comes in.

Thanks to the fact it exists in such close proximity to Earth, the moon plays host to trace amounts of oxygen, traveling from Earth's upper atmosphere all the way to the moon. Li found that the side of the moon that faces Earth has more rust than the areas that don't face Earth.

He believes this process has been occurring on the moon for billions of years. Moon, please accept our most sincere apologies for the rust.

[SunkenCiv]

By constrast, Howard Jones claims that no one is to blame.

Sweet - Love Is Like Oxygen (Album Version)(1978)

• The moon is 'rusting' and scientists are stunned

[Joe 6-pack]

"Rust Never Sleeps"

On this harvest moon....

[kanawa]

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