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exciting discoveries yet" indicating water within the large circular discs located directly under the centre of Moon.° The two physicists claimed that the water vapour the maria like a giant bulls-eye happened by accident or came from deep inside the Moon, apparently released coincidence. during a moonquake. NASA officials offered a more Between 1969 and 1977, Apollo mission seismographic mundane, and questionable, explanation. They equipment registered up to 3,000 "“moonquakes” in each speculated that two tanks on Apollo descent stages year of operation. Most of the vibrations were quite containing between 60 and 100 pounds [27 and 45 small and were caused by meteorite strikes or falling kilograms] of water became stressed and ruptured, booster rockets. But many other quakes were detected releasing their contents. Freeman and Hills declined to _ deep inside the Moon. This internal creaking is believed accept this explanation, pointing out that the two _ to be caused by the gravitational pull of our planet, as tanks—from Apollo 12 and 14—were some 180 kilometres | most moonquakes occur when the Moon is closest to apart, yet the water vapour was detected with the same the Earth. flux at both sites although the instruments faced in An event occurred in 1958 in the Moon's Alphonsus opposite directions. Sceptics also have understandably crater, which shook the idea that all internal moonquake questioned the odds of two separate tanks breaking activity is simply settling rocks. In November of that simultaneously and how such a small quantity of water year, astronomer Nikolay A. Kozyrev of the Crimean could produce 100 square miles of vapour. Astrophysical Observatory startled the scientific world by oon rocks were found to be photographing the first recorded magnetised—not strong enough gaseous eruption on the Moon to pick up a paper clip, bu near the crater's peak. Kozyrev magnetic nevertheless. Ye sae . attributed this to escaping there is no magnetic field on the The two physicists claimed fluorescent gases. He also Moon itself. So where did the that the water vapour detected a reddish glow magnetism come from? characteristic of carbon The presence of maria, or came from deep inside the compounds, which "seemed to large seas of smooth solidified Moon apparently released move and disappeared after an molten rock, also presented a 2 hour".” Some scientists refused mystery. These maria indicate during a moonquake. to accept Kozyrev's findings until nothing less than a vas astronomers at the Lowell outpouring of lava at some Observatory in 1963 saw reddish distant time. It has now been glows on the crests of ridges in confirmed that some of the Moon's craters are of _ the Aristarchus region. Days later, two separate internal origin. Yet there is no indication that the Moon _ observatories reported coloured lights on the Moon has ever been hot enough to produce volcanic _ lasting more than an hour. eruptions. Another puzzle is that almost all—four- Something was going on inside the volcanically dead fifths—of the maria are located on the Moon's Earthside |= Moon. And whatever it is, it occurs the same way at the hemisphere. Few maria mark the far side of the Moon, same time. As the Moon moves closer to the Earth, often erroneously referred to as the "dark side". Yet the — seismic signals from different stations on the lunar far side contains many more craters and mountainous __ surface detect identical vibrations. It is difficult to accept areas. In comparison to the rest of the Moon, the maria __ this movement as a natural phenomenon. For example, a are relatively free of craters, suggesting that the craters broken artificial hull plate could shift exactly the same were covered by lava flow. way each time the Moon passed near the Earth. Adding to this mystery are the mascons: large, dense, circular masses lying 20 to 40 miles [32.2 to 64.4 The Hollow Moon Theory kilometres] below the centre of the Moon's maria. The There is evidence to indicate that the Moon may be mascons were discovered because their denseness hollow. Studies of Moon rocks indicate that the Moon's distorted the orbits of our spacecraft flying over or near interior differs from the Earth's mantle in ways them. One scientist proposed that the mascons are suggesting a very small, or even nonexistent, core. heavy iron meteorites that plunged deep into the Moon Back in 1962, NASA scientist Dr Gordon MacDonald while it was in a soft, formable stage. This theory has _ stated: "If the astronomical data are reduced, it is found been discounted, since meteorites strike with such high that the data require that the interior of the Moon be velocities that they would vaporise on contact. Another _ less dense than the outer parts. Indeed, it would seem mundane explanation is that the mascons are nothing that the Moon is more like a hollow than a more than lava-filled caverns, but sceptics say there | homogeneous sphere."* isn't enough lava present to fill the caverns. It would Apollo 14 astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell, while scoffing at seem that these mascons are huge disc-shaped objects, _ the possibility of a hollow Moon, nevertheless admitted possibly of artificial construction. It is unlikely that that, since heavier materials are on the surface, it is large circular discs located directly under the centre of the maria like a giant bulls-eye happened by accident or coincidence. Between 1969 and 1977, Apollo mission seismographic equipment registered up to 3,000 "“moonquakes" in each year of operation. Most of the vibrations were quite small and were caused by meteorite strikes or falling booster rockets. But many other quakes were detected deep inside the Moon. This internal creaking is believed to be caused by the gravitational pull of our planet, as most moonquakes occur when the Moon is closest to the Earth. The two physicists claimed that the water vapour came from deep inside the Moon, apparently released during a moonquake. The Hollow Moon Theory There is evidence to indicate that the Moon may be hollow. Studies of Moon rocks indicate that the Moon's interior differs from the Earth's mantle in ways suggesting a very small, or even nonexistent, core. Back in 1962, NASA scientist Dr Gordon MacDonald stated: "If the astronomical data are reduced, it is found that the data require that the interior of the Moon be less dense than the outer parts. Indeed, it would seem that the Moon is more like a hollow than a homogeneous sphere."* Apollo 14 astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell, while scoffing at the possibility of a hollow Moon, nevertheless admitted that, since heavier materials are on the surface, it is 56 * NEXUS DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com