Scientists Say Apollo Bootprints Could Last 1 Million Years on Moon as Micrometeorites Slowly Erase Them
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · May 31
Scientists Say Apollo Bootprints Could Last 1 Million Years on Moon as Micrometeorites Slowly Erase Them
1 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · May 31
Summary
A million years is a plausible lifespan for visible Apollo bootprints and tracks on the Moon, scientists say, though no single print has a precise expiration date.
No wind, rain, liquid water, biology or active geology disturbs the lunar surface, and the Moon’s dry, sharp-edged regolith holds compressed footprints far longer than Earth sand.
NASA orbiter images still show Apollo tracks decades later, but micrometeorite bombardment and space weathering are constantly churning and altering the top layer of soil.
A 2016 Nature study estimated the top 2 centimeters of regolith can be reworked in about 81,000 years—far faster than older 10 million-year estimates—yet still slow on human timescales.
Scientists expect lighter marks such as prints and rover tracks to fade first, while broader Apollo site traces may persist for 10 million to 100 million years before disappearing.