In 2014 Armagh Planetarium’s website (including Astronotes) received well over 1 million page views from all over the world. What were all these people coming to see? Here are the 10 most viewed Astronotes articles of 2014.

Apollo 17 lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt uses an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the second Apollo 17 moon walk. His spacesuit is covered with a layer of the lunar dust. (Image Credit: NASA/Eugene Cernan)

More than 40 years on visitors are still looking for information on the Moon missions. Here Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt uses an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the second Apollo 17 moon walk. His spacesuit is covered with a layer of lunar dust.
(Image Credit:
NASA/Eugene Cernan)

 

 

1. The Truth About the Black Knight Satellite Mystery

2. 8 Myths About Neil Armstrong’s Flight to the Moon

3. How Far Away is the Farthest Star?

4. The Truth About Zeta Reticuli

5. The 10 Best Space and Astronomy Sites on the Internet

6. Top 10 Astronomy and Space Gifts for Christmas 2013

7. The Dangers of Space Travel

8. Apollo 18: the truth about the lost Moon missions

9. 11 Strange Facts You Didn’t Know About the First Moon Landing

10. No, NASA has not verified an impossible space drive!

What lessons can we learn from this list? These articles are all well-written and factual, but what makes these and many of our other articles popular is their uniqueness. They contain information that either cannot be found elsewhere or is not conveniently summarised across the internet.

As for what attracts our readers, there are several “hot-button” topics. More than 40 years on NASA’s Moon missions, especially Apollo 11,  still continue to fascinate. Many of our web visitors come under the impression that there are unanswered questions in the history of the US space programme or are intrigued by the possibilities of alien visitations. I hope our articles help correct some of the myths about these topics.

I am very happy to see that in its present blog format Astronotes is promoting space and astronomy education to a larger and wider audience than ever before.

If you have any suggestions for astronomy and space-related topics for future Astronotes articles, why not leave them in the comments section?

(Article by Colin Johnston, Science Education Director)

 


5 Comments

semaj · March 2, 2016 at 09:13

No it does not explain why previous missions apparently did not disturb the surface under or around the LEM. Could it be possible that Never A Straight Answer thought they had better put that in this time? Also remember just hitting a golf ball disturbed the dust apparently. Amazes me that with the strict control on payload that could be taken they were allowed trivia like this!
How is the article coming on?

    admin · March 3, 2016 at 13:04

    Dear Semaj, once again I am not in agreement with some of your opinions.

    it does not explain why previous missions apparently did not disturb the surface under or around the LEM

    Have you watched the films of the LM’s descent from each mission? Or looked at any of the photos taken to record the soil disturbance under the LM? Remember not knowing about something is not the same as it not existing!

    a golf ball disturbed the dust apparently. Amazes me that with the strict control on payload that could be taken they were allowed trivia like this!

    US astronauts are allowed to carry a bag of personal items called a Personal Preference Kit. On the Apollo missions this could weigh no more than 0.5lb (227g), Alan Shepard’s golf ball and golf club head presumably fitted into his kit (see also Apollo 14: Alan Shepard’s fight for the Moon)

    Sorry to say I’ve made not progress with the article, we’ve an unusually heavy programme of public events which we’ve to give priority to. It will appear but not for several weeks.

    admin · April 7, 2016 at 15:44

    Dear Semaj, please see 15 Questions about the Moon Landings (link) which I hope will help you.

semaj · March 1, 2016 at 12:50

So, lunar dust all over his space suit but not grain of lunar dust moved when the LEM landed! REALLY??

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