Astronomy - USA (2020-04)

47.5 lbs

(21.5 kg)

0 mi

(0 km)

0 lbs

(0 kg)

75.7 lbs

(34.3 kg)

MISSION

TOTAL LUNAR

SAMPLES

EVA

TIME

EVA

DISTANCE

1.44 mi

(2.32 km)

0.625 mi

(1.00 km)

2.46 mi

(3.96 km)

93.2 lbs

(42.3 kg)

7:45:

0:00:

9:22:

22.2 mi

(35.7 km)

18:34:

20:14:

22:03:

170.4 lbs

(77.3 kg)

211 lbs

(95.7 kg)

244 lbs

(111 kg)

16.7 mi

(26.9 km)

17.4 mi

(28 km)

2:31:

17

15

11

16

12 14

APOLLO

11

APOLLO

12

APOLLO

13

APOLLO

14

APOLLO

15

APOLLO

16

APOLLO

17

WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 13

COMPARING THE APOLLO MISSIONS

MOONSHOTS. It’s been more than 50 years since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin

became the first humans to set foot on the Moon during Apollo 11. The duo

spent over two and a half hours outside the lunar module, partaking in extra-

vehicular activity (EVA). For the most part, each successive Apollo mission

extended how much time astronauts spent outside exploring the lunar surface,

which meant they could travel farther and collect more samples. The total

distance traveled during EVAs also skyrocketed during Apollo 15, 16, and 17,

thanks to the addition of the Lunar Roving Vehicle. — J.P.

NASA planned to have Apollo 13

commander Jim Lovell and lunar

module pilot Fred Haise embark

on a pair of four- to five-hour

EVAs, where they would gather

lunar data and collect rock

samples. This plan was shattered

when an oxygen tank in the

service module exploded while

en route to the Moon, forcing

NASA to abort the mission.

FAST FACT

The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile

has captured new evidence that suggests the Milky Way recently

experienced a burst of star formation so intense it led to more than

100,000 supernovae explosions. About 80 percent of the stars in

the galaxy’s center formed between 8 billion and 13.5 billion years

ago. But according to the new data, another intense burst of star

formation occurred about 1 billion years ago, creating many massive

stars. “This burst of activity ... was probably one of the most ener-

getic events in the whole history of the Milky Way,” said researcher

Francisco Nogueras-Lara in a press release. — HAILEY ROSE MCLAUGHLIN, J.P.

When the Milky Way erupted in 100,000 supernovae

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