Fact Sheet
Dirty Moon
Surveyor 3 left several footprints in the powdery lunar soil during its 1967 mission, and used a small scoop to drop some of the soil on one of its footpads. (The craft was photographed by an Apollo 12 astronaut in 1969.) Although the sticky soil could gum up the works of future lunar landers, it's a scientific treasure trove: The soil reveals details about the Moon's composition and history, and also contains embedded particles from the Sun. [NASA]
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