50% SiO2, 15% Al2O3, 10% CaO, 10% MgO, 5% TiO2 and 5-15% iron
Comment on Moon dust
cyborganism@lemmy.ca 7 months ago
Isn’t moon dust just sand?
vind@lemmy.world 7 months ago
0110010001100010@lemmy.world 7 months ago
And 100% reason to remember the name.
nxdefiant@startrek.website 7 months ago
All those oxides but the iron is pure? SUS.
Umbrias@beehaw.org 7 months ago
Sand, but sharp due to a lack of water erosion, and formed mostly from asteroid impacts and thermal cycling. So it’s more like glass dust. It’s possible it had similar effects on lungs as asbestos, but we don’t know for sure.
cyborganism@lemmy.ca 7 months ago
Ah got it.
qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website 7 months ago
Jack Schmidt = Anakin confirmed.
rustydomino@lemmy.world 7 months ago
More like Jack Schmidt = Cave Johnson
cynar@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s sand that has never been exposed to water or oxygen. This leaves various reactive chemicals on the surface that would normally be broken down. The lack of water also means the particles haven’t been smoothed off as much. They are sharp and spiky.
The combination of these effects makes the dust quite unique, compared to earth dust.
Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 months ago
It also reportedly smells like gunpowder.
prayer@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
Burned or unburned? They are two distinct smells.
Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 months ago
Burned, according to the astronauts. I don’t know if the exact mechanism has been published anywhere, but since spent gunpowder has been oxidized I imagine that’s what’s going on with the dust as well.