General astronomy discussion

Re: Did We or Not?

chipdatajeffB — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:18:19 GMT

IntrepidDJ:
Hi Sir Zeusor :
Did we really go to the Moon is a valid question.

No, it is an idiotic question that has been asked -- and answered!-- far too many times here. There are hundreds of sites you can use for this conspiracy theory trash, but this is not one of them.

Thread locked.

Re: Did We or Not?

Centaur — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:27:55 GMT

IntrepidDJ, did you read my first post in this thread in which I pointed to professional astronomer Phil Platt's debunking of that 2001 Fox TV show that presented irresponsible arguments for a Moon hoax? Phil nicely set aside their specious arguments, including that regarding the Van Allen belt. Here again is the link: http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html

Re: Did We or Not?

IntrepidDJ — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:00:18 GMT

Hi Sir Zeusor :

Did we really go to the Moon is a valid question. My answer to that would be absolutely NOT! There is simply no way the astronauts could have survived outside of LEO while travelling through the van-allen radiation belts in a ship that had 1/8" thick aluminum shielding at its weakest point. Also, the astronauts would have to be suited up the entire trip once outside of LEO in suits made of lead. The suits used were made of layers of thin metal, Also, there was a lot of solar activity during the late 60s and early 70s that certainly would have killed any living beings outside of LEO. When I have more time, I will post pictures taken of the Apollo 13 mission which will further prove my point. Why aren't the people floating with the recovered craft wearing haz-mat suits? The astronauts and ship were just exposed to space weather for several hours, why are they not in their full spacesuits while exiting the craft and how come they didn't show any symptoms of radiation exposure? Why weren't they isolated immediately after exiting the craft and why were so many people allowed to be around them, only to be exposed themselves? -Mr. Jackson

Re: Did We or Not?

Starwolf — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:06:58 GMT

Yes. As a matter of fact you did. I have a really really really bad habit of reading just the 1st or 2nd paragraph and moving on when I get flustered. The fact is I did not read your entire post. I am sorry for re re reinterating the very same points you have pointed out previously to my response.

The plain fact is I did not read your response. My bad.

I just get very frustrated when someone bad mouths extremely important (and difficult) accomplishments our country has strived to achieve. There are alot of Nay-sayers as of late. I grow weary of all the BS theories.

I'll stay silent now. (((Starwolf tiptoes out of forums to go bury his fat head in the sand)))

Re: Did We or Not?

Centaur — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:35:37 GMT

Starwolf:

Astromaster,

Thank you Thank you Thank you...I am such a fool. I completely and utterly forgot about the mirrors that were put on the moon. They show us that the moon is indeed moving away from the earth at a rate of 1.5 inches per year.

Hmmmmm, funny thing though...I wonder how they got there. Oh well, I guess it's just a matter of time before another conspiracy theory comes about...

Didn't I already mention that in my first post in this thread?

Re: Did We or Not?

Starwolf — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:30:21 GMT

Astromaster,

Thank you Thank you Thank you...I am such a fool. I completely and utterly forgot about the mirrors that were put on the moon. They show us that the moon is indeed moving away from the earth at a rate of 1.5 inches per year.

Hmmmmm, funny thing though...I wonder how they got there. Oh well, I guess it's just a matter of time before another conspiracy theory comes about...

Re: Did We or Not?

Astromaster — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:24:44 GMT

I believe that the most reputable evidence of the moon landings are indeed the reflecting mirrors positioned on the moon during the early Apollo missions. The mirror device is known as the "laser ranging retroreflector array" and was included in the missions for 2 reasons. Firstly, to provide an accurate measurement of the distance from earth to the moon, as well as to confirm that the moon is infact moving away from us by more than an inch per year. And secondly, as yet another confirmation of Einstein's theory of relativity.

These mirrors are the only instruments left on the moon which are still in operation today.

I guess some conspiracy theorists could argue that they were placed there by remote operated vehicles (ROV), but my argument is simple; What would be so hard about putting a man on the moon? If we can land an ROV on mars, using a retro rocket to decend, why couldn't we do it with people on the moon? The moon is just a skip and a jump away from earth in astronomical terms. It only takes about 3 days or less to get there. Mars is a much more difficult project to complete because of the amount of time it takes to reach the planet, the planet's higher gravity than the moon, along with many other complications.

And finally, if the technology existed at the time to make videos in a Hollywood basement that are as accurate and true-to-life as those shown from the Apollo missions, than why did George Lucas have to keep updating and re-releasing Star Wars?

Re: Did We or Not?

WannaB — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:42:28 GMT

I got to see only the last fifteen to twenty minutes of "In the Shadow of the Moon". I hope they re-air it soon. As I was reading all the posts in this thread, I was thinking of exactly what Oliver Tunnah referred to. The astronaut asked the question of why NASA would fake it so many times and also said that if the landings were faked, how did the thousands of people that were part of the missions keep it quiet for all these years.

Man, we've became a skeptical lot. Sometimes skepticism is a good thing, but, come on!

Sorry tkerr, had to jump in there.

Re: Did We or Not?

tkerr — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:19:29 GMT

Please refer to the first comments in the first reply by chipdatajeffb.
These replies are beginning to resemble another conspiracy theory hoax vs no hoax discussion.

The original questions have been answered thoroughly enough. Let's see if we can allow this to quietly end.

Have A Nice __________

Re: Did We or Not?

Oliver Tunnah — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:09:27 GMT

Well said Starwolf!

Re: Did We or Not?

Starwolf — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:31:30 GMT

Aggg! Not another conspiracy theory.

First of all, YES! We did land on the moon. Do I "personally" remember the event? No. I was not born yet. However, I was not around during the Korean War or WW2 either. But that doesn't mean that they never really happened.

During our mission to land on the moon, we were in a space race with Russia. This was at the very height of the Cold War. If we had "hoaxed" the whole thing, don't you think Russia would have been the first to point it out? Why did Russia never come forward to prove us wrong. Most likely because they monitored the rocket from their own military stations and saw it's intended path (which seems to me like they knew we actually made it...)

Second, why do people who question if we truly landed on the moon always seem so quick to point out (what they believe to be) inadequecies with the accounts of what happened? No matter what proof is bought forward to them, they still feel that there is some sort of cover up. They are never appeased.

Here's a question for you. Can you prove that we did not land on the moon? If so, how? All evidence points to the fact that the world (or most countries with sophisticated military radar) knows that we did thus there have been no objections with our claims. Then, decades later, someone comes up with the bright idea that it was all a hoax and they claim that NASA should spend billions of dollars to settle a personal belief that we were never there. All the conspiracy theorists are always part of the problem, but never the solution.

I have a better idea. Why don't all you Nay-sayers fork up the billions of dollars, build a lunar orbiter with a super hi-res camera, purchase the fuel to launch it and then take pics of the site when you are up there.

Seriously. If you are waiting for NASA or some other Space Administration to do it, don't hold your breathe.

Re: Did We or Not?

Oliver Tunnah — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:28:17 GMT

Recently I watched a documentry called 'In the Shadow of the Moon.' It was interviews about the Astronaughts different experiences. I suggest that everybody watches it. It was brilliant. At the end one says when asked about Hoax's: 'We did it 6 times, Why fake it 6 times?'

Re: Did We or Not?

chipdatajeffB — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:45:22 GMT

ngc2438:

The only scientific reason for chasing up on junk metal on the moon woulds probably be a mission to collect bits and pieces of the landers/equipment, to see what impact space radiation and micrometeorites had during those many years.

Yep, in fact that's happened. Apollo 12 fetched back the video camera and its support arm from an unmanned lander (Surveyor III ) that had been sitting on the lunar surface for two and a half years.

So far, and Chip was very clear, no one in NASA has a single cent for such a mission... unless we find some superrich silly industrial tycoon who wants the Apollo 11 US flag in his office in Texas

Lordy, that's scarily close to "possible", given what I know about Texas tycoons!

Re: Did We or Not?

ngc2438 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:06:15 GMT

SirZeusor:

then why can i see pictures from nasa that posted pictures of the opprotunity, and oddesy's tire tracks from Mars orbit?

Taking pics of rover tire tracks on mars might actually have some scientific benefit: Mars has an athmosphere and it is - we know that - very windy there. So, by taking pics of tracks now and in many years to come, it might give us some idea on dust transportation in Mars' athmosphere. We might see the tracks slowly disappear. That's just my humble guess...

The only scientific reason for chasing up on junk metal on the moon woulds probably be a mission to collect bits and pieces of the landers/equipment, to see what impact space radiation and micrometeorites had during those many years. So far, and Chip was very clear, no one in NASA has a single cent for such a mission... unless we find some superrich silly industrial tycoon who wants the Apollo 11 US flag in his office in Texas

Re: Did We or Not?

Centaur — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:18:18 GMT

Here’s a link to a photograph taken recently by the Japanese lunar orbiter. It reveals the marks made by the engine blast from the Apollo 11 lunar module.

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/i...=post&id=13792