How come this be...?

Question

If there is no atmosphere on the moon, then how come the flag hoisted by Neil Armstrong on the moon, as shown in the video flutter..?

Answer 1

Technically, there is a very, very, very, very, very insignificant atmosphere on the Moon.

But that isn't why the flag "shook." There is a bar supporting the flag not only from the side, but from the top as well. That is why the flags is stretched out.

Also, they had to plant the flag into the ground below the lunar dust, and they struggled a little with this. After finally getting it into the ground, the bar supporting the flag wobbled (because the astronauts were pushing and pulling on it), and that made the flag flutter.

Just because there is little or no air doesn't mean things can't be moved by another means (the astronauts are moving on the Moon, after all, why can't a flag pole that's been given a little kinetic energy).

It should also be noted, that when Neil and Buzz left the surface of the Moon, the flag was knocked over because of the exhaust from the LM. They planted the flag too close to their spacecraft. This "problem" was fixed on future missions.

AND something to THINK ABOUT: If the flag were fluttering because of air, then why isn't there dust blowing around in that video, too?

Answer 2

That has been pointed to as evidence that the whole moon landing business was a hoax. There is no way that the flag should have fluttered on the moon.

Answer 3

because.. the flag is cotton or something similar, u know the moon has little to no gravity, and no gravity is almost like swimming in an ocean, u ever try waving a flag in an ocean??
it moves even when nothing is making it move. the guy who put the flag there must have struck the pole pretty hard to keep the flag 'fluttering' the way it did.

that or they're just bullsh*ttin ya

Answer 4

You are absolutely correct: since there is no atmosphere on the moon, the flag cannot possibly be "flapping in the breeze".

However, that does ***NOT*** prove that the moon landings were a hoax, and if you had a spot of brain in your head, you'd know why! But I'll put it into simple terms for you anyway.

1) Since there is no atmosphere, there is nothing to provide friction/ air resistance to the material of the flag, thus there is no external force to act on the material -- nothing to blow to make it wave, or TO MAKE IT STOP WAVING. We all agree on that.

Now, look at how that flag was unfurled -- there's a vertical flagpole, and a HORIZONTAL SUPPORT that folded out from the pole. Next, recall Newton's Laws of Motion, and the property called inertia -- "an object at rest tends to remain at rest, and an object in motion tends to remain in motion, unless ACTED UPON BY AN EXTERNAL FORCE".

In the process of erecting the flag, the fabric was PUT INTO MOTION BY AN EXTERNAL FORCE -- THE ACTION OF THE ASTRONAUT. Ergo -- it was waving and flapping due to the ***process of being unfurled***.

And, since we all agree that there's nothing to STOP IT FROM MOVING, it continued to flap! End of freakin' story.

How about using some of that great, omnipresent brain of yours to stop the pseudoscientific BS from spreading, and using it to actually solve some of the ral problems we have here on Earth???

Sheesh.

Answer 5

I am not very much into the details but I have seen a documentry on it, but quite a long time back so I did some researching on some sites.

There is solar wind and gases in outerspace, and there has to be some kind of "air" or "airflow" otherwise I belive it would be impossible for satalites to rotate or stars to burst and stay in one place?
And also a star might burst and the "Waves" of the burst travel through space? (I am only guessing this one thought!)

But check out the links below if it helps =)

Answer 6

the video was shot here on earth in a made up moon surfurce we all thought he landed on the moon but he really landed on earth made to look like the moon mmmmmmm could it be true

Answer 7

the camera was shaky because of the low gravity

Answer 8

its a fake picture

Answer 9

Ah HA! Evidence That it is fake. Or.......

Answer 10

its all a hoax!