Cosmic Queries – Lunar Geology

About This Episode

On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are answering fan-submitted Cosmic Queries about lunar geology alongside planetary scientist Raquel Nuno. And as Raquel says, she’s here to change your mind about the Moon!

As it turns out, we don’t know very much about the Moon. Raquel explains how the Moon has been a celestial witness to everything Earth has experienced. Learn about some surprising discoveries we’ve made from moon rocks and other samples. You’ll hear how our views on the Moon changed from it being a piece of primordial dust and rock to a place with an incredible geologic history. We also discuss why we currently can’t go back to the Moon.

Next, we explore the Moon’s craters and why Earth has far fewer craters. What would we find if we extracted a core sample from the Moon? Raquel tells us about finding Moon samples on astronaut space suits. Are there still bacteria alive on the Moon left from the Apollo missions? We explore where the ice on the Moon comes from, and Raquel gives us details on creating “water out of thin space.”

You’ll learn more about Theia and the “giant-impact” hypothesis. Explore the Moon’s magma ocean of the past. Uncover the “truth” about the dark side of the Moon. Ponder what would happen if the Moon broke apart. Lastly, we discuss the true color of the Moon, and, whether we can terraform the lunar surface. All that, plus, we ask, can a moon have a moon?

Thanks to our Patrons David Frederick, Jennifer Aiken, Jamie Boneleye, Kyle Walker, Evan Blackburn, Jon Mack, Wyatt Smith, Cole Smart for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.

About the prints that flank Neil in this video:

“Black Swan” & “White Swan” limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver.