Some Forty Years Ago

Considering the size of earth, the largeness of earth's moon is probably somewhat unique. As well, the moon seems special to me. It's something common to everyone. It'd probably be fair to assume that it is one aspect of life that crosses all boundaries and borders. I used to gaze at it when I first worked overseas. No matter how far from home, the moon was something that connected me directly to the past. I knew that people would be able to see the exact same view that evening.

There is probably a far more important reason for being a lunatic. People not my age, probably cannot imagine the excitement of the initial lunar landing. Men walked on the moon just three days shy of tenth birthday. Later in school, NASA with moon rocks in tow, visited our school's gymnasium. Science was something to be proud of; not something to be feared. I shall never be convinced that putting men in space was a waste of resources.

Here's a recent podcast I heard on the way to work the other day.


LINK EXPIRED
The Moon
Feb 04 2009
from Discovery
This week ‘Discovery’ investigates mysterious patches of light or colour sometimes seen on the moon’s surface. They have been called transient lunar phenomena. Some scientists wonder whether they’re evidence that something volcanic stirs beneath the Moon’s dead face. To many others, they are just tricks of the light. Andrew Luck-Baker visits a new robotic telescope on the roof of a New York university designed to establish the truth about these alleged lunar gas eruptions.