Expert reveals what happens to the flags and objects that have been left on the moon
An expert has revealed what happens to the flags and other objects that have been left on the moon.
We all know the iconic scene of Neil Armstrong stepping foot onto the moon for the first time.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” he famously said as he became the first man to ever walk on the moon’s surface.
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He was also tasked with putting up an American flag, with the help of fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
It was a historic moment shared around the world, but when the astronauts returned to Earth, what happened to the things they left behind?
As explained by astrophotographer Robert Reeves, it’s not as simple as grabbing a telescope and looking to the stars.
He said: “The moon is about a quarter million miles away. The smallest objects on the moon that can be seen with any earthbound telescope, even the largest research telescope, are only a little under a mile across.
“Since the flags left on the moon by the Apollo astronauts are only about four feet wide, unfortunately, they’re a thousand times smaller than what we can spot from the Earth.
“Not even the powerful Hubble Space Telescope can see the flags.”
However, all hope is not lost because NASA is able to keep an eye on the stuff left on the moon using the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter (LRO).
The LRO is basically a spacecraft that obits the moon to keep an eye on things and it can spot shadows cast by the flags on the surface.
According to NASA, pics from the LRO show that the flags left by most of the Apollo missions are still standing strong.
However, it looks like it’s bad news for the first flag pitched.
Aldrin had previously revealed that he had seen the flag falling over during liftoff when they were leaving for home and it looks like he was right.
The LRO hasn’t been able to spot the American flag left by Armstrong and Aldrin.
There are other things we’ve left on the moon too - in fact, there are 96 bags of human waste sitting on the moon which will be an unpleasant present for the humans that eventually return.
Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a framed family photo on the lunar surface, although after decades of sun exposure, it’s probably now bleached.
Time will tell what has really happened to the object we’ve left behind on the moon but we could find out soon as it looks like moon landings are making a return.
NASA plans to put humans back on the moon in 2026.