This special episode of NASA’s Unexplained Files looks at some of the greatest mysteries surrounding our closest celestial neighbor, the Moon.
Our moon is the fifth largest in the Solar System and has occupied a special place in human culture since humans first looked up at the sky.
The Moon has had profound affect on the Earth and its inhabitants and over the millennia it has been worshipped, used for navigation, measuring time, predicting tides and even planting crops.
Despite being so close there are still some aspects of the Moon that puzzle scientists and even as we prepare to return it continues to throw up new mysteries.
One example is when the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter first studied the Moon in 2009. Using its high resolution camera equipment it spotted the footprints left by the Apollo crews decades before, this was a real buzz for the men who’d made those journeys and showed just how inactive the Moon is.
However, about 30 miles from the Apollo landing sites the orbiter spotted some other ‘footprints’ that were very strange indeed.
These were shaped like footprints and followed a sort of path pattern, but they were several kilometers across! Clearly they were not left by a creature of any type so scientists investigated what had caused these strange features.
Some conspiracy theorists have much wilder claims such as the Moon being hollow or even a space station!
NASA’s Unexplained Files – Moon Mystery Special airs at 9 PM on Science Channel.