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Mysteries of the Moon. Interesting facts, anomalies. Astronomers are close to the truth, riddles of the moon Moon riddles and hypotheses

Mysteries of the Moon. Interesting facts, anomalies. Astronomers are close to the truth, riddles of the moon Moon riddles and hypotheses

Moon- the closest satellite of humanity in outer space and the only celestial body that we have visited. But despite its relative proximity to us and its apparent simplicity, our satellite continues to hide a lot, and some of them are worth learning about.

Optical illusion

During the full moon, our satellite emits 12.6 units of brightness, while the Sun emits 26.8. For some reason, the human eye “sees” the disk of the Moon much larger at the moment when it is close to the horizon. But in fact it is 1.5% smaller along with the Moon at its zenith. This is a kind of optical illusion, which we observe in the example of the Sun. And it is not the Earth’s atmosphere that refracts light and increases the diameter of the stars.


Moonquakes

The Moon has extremely low geological activity, but crustal movements occur there too. There are four types of moonquakes: the first three - deep moonquakes, vibrations from meteorite impacts and thermal moonquakes caused by solar activity - are relatively safe. And moonquakes of the fourth type can be up to 5.5 on the Richter scale - this is enough to make small objects begin to tremble. These tremors last for about ten minutes. Earthquakes on Earth are typically caused by the movement of tectonic plates, but on the Moon there are simply no tectonic plates, and we don't know what exactly causes moonquakes.

The moon is hollow inside

Above the “lunar site seas” they found areas in which the gravity of our satellite is changed. This fact, as well as testing the motion and specific gravity of the Moon, suggests that the Moon may be hollow inside. And after part of the Apollo 13 rocket separated and fell onto the surface of the satellite, the Moon “oscillated” for about three hours up to 40 kilometers deep, as if hollow! At the same time, according to the astronauts, it “ringed like a bell.”

Lunar anomalies

Some images taken by various satellites show very strange artificial structures, the size of which varies from very small ones, usually shaped like a parallelepiped, to obelisks less than 1.5 km in height.

Moon dust

One of the most amazing and at the same time most dangerous things on the Moon is lunar dust. Instead of dust, there is crushed regolith rock on the Moon. It is fine, like flour, but at the same time very rough. Thanks to its texture and low gravity, the site penetrates absolutely anywhere. NASA had numerous problems with lunar dust: it ripped astronauts' boots almost completely apart, penetrated ships and space suits, and caused "lunar hay fever" in astronauts if they inhaled it. Moon dust smells like burnt gunpowder, which is probably due to its meteorite origin. In the region of the lunar “oceans” its layer is 3 meters, and on the plateau it reaches 20.

Moon shadows

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first walked on the Moon, they made an amazing discovery: the shadows on the Moon are much darker than the shadows on Earth due to the lack of an atmosphere. All lunar shadows are absolutely black. As soon as the astronauts stepped into the shadows, they could no longer see their own feet, despite the sun's disk burning brightly in the sky. Moon shadows became the bane of many Apollo missions. Some astronauts found it impossible to complete spacecraft maintenance tasks because they couldn't see what their hands were doing. Others thought that they had accidentally landed in a cave: this effect was created due to the shadows cast by the slopes.

Of course, the astronauts were able to adapt to this, but such a contrast between dark and light areas of the surface still remained a problem. The astronauts noticed that some shadows—namely, their own—had halos. They later learned that the eerie phenomenon was explained by the opposition effect, in which some dark shadow areas appear to have a bright halo, provided that the observer looks at the shadows from a certain angle.

Difficulties with low gravity

Although the gravity on the Moon is only one-sixth that of Earth, moving on its surface is difficult. Buzz Aldrin said that it would be extremely difficult to establish settlements on the Moon: the feet of astronauts in bulky spacesuits were buried in lunar dust almost 15 cm deep. Despite the low gravity, the inertia of a person on the Moon is high, so it is difficult to move quickly or change direction there. If the astronauts wanted to move faster, they had to jump like kangaroos, which was also a problem since the Moon is full of craters and other dangerous objects.

Solar eclipse thanks to the Moon

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, and the lunar disk exactly coincides with the solar one, covering it almost completely. This effect is due to an amazing coincidence: the diameter of the Sun is about 400 times greater than the diameter of the Moon, but the distance from us to the Sun is also about 400 times greater, so from the Earth both luminaries appear approximately the same. This ratio of sizes and distances is unique for all the planets of the Solar System and all their known satellites. Moreover, this coincidence happened precisely in our time, because the Moon is gradually moving away from the Earth, and after millions of years a total solar eclipse can no longer be seen.

Solar eclipse from the International Space Station:

A total solar eclipse was observed on November 14, 2013 in three Australian cities - Cairns, Port Douglas and Brisbane:

Next solar eclipses (2014-2017):

  • October 23, 2014 21:45:39 Partial
  • March 20, 2015 9:46:47 AM Full
  • September 13, 2015 6:55:19 Partial
  • March 9, 2016 1:58:19 Full
  • 1 September 2016 9:08:02 Ring
  • 26 February 2017 14:54:32 Ring
  • 21 August 2017 18:26:40 Full

Moon eclipse

This is an eclipse that occurs when the Moon enters the cone of the shadow cast by the Earth. The Moon can be completely obscured, i.e. a total lunar eclipse with a blood-red moon effect, or the Moon can be partially obscured - a partial or penumbral eclipse.

A total lunar eclipse occurred on June 15, 2011. The Moon was completely immersed in the Earth's shadow for 100 minutes. This is the longest eclipse since July 2000:

Next lunar eclipses (2014-2017):

  • October 8, 2014 10:55:44 Full (blood red moon)
  • April 4, 2015 12:01:24 Full (blood red moon)
  • September 28, 2015 2:48:17 Full (blood red moon)
  • March 23, 2016 11:48:21 Penumbra
  • 16 September 2016 18:55:27 Penumbra
  • February 11, 2017 00:45:03 Penumbra
  • 7 August 2017 18:21:38 Partial

Supermoon

A supermoon is the position of the Moon when it is slightly closer to the Earth in its orbit than usual. The effect of a close orbit is especially noticeable during the full moon. The Moon appears larger than usual, although the distance from Earth differs by only a few percent. During a supermoon The moon looks 14% bigger and 30% brighter than on normal days. A supermoon typically does not have a noticeable effect on Earth, except for stronger tides.

Every month on the day of the new moon, the Earth, Moon and Sun line up, with the Moon taking its place in the middle. This astronomical phenomenon causes extensive tides. During these tides, the water mark is particularly high, and then the water subsides later that day. During supermoons, the Moon increases the tides, causing what are called perigee tides.

During a supermoon On August 10, the Moon will be at its closest distance to Earth. This is the evening and night from Sunday to Monday. But even the day before, the Moon will already be magnificent. If you also take into account that in August the Earth passes through a meteor shower appearing from the direction of the constellation Perseus, and falling meteorites are most often observed, then you can sit all night admiring the starry sky with “falling stars” and a huge bright moon. Very romantic! Do not miss!

The following supermoon site:

  • August 10, 2014
  • September 9, 2014

Earth sunrise over the moon

It is known that the Moon always faces the Earth with one side, but for someone who is on the Moon, the Earth will not hang motionless in the sky. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the Moon’s orbit is not circular, but elliptical, and secondly, the Moon’s axis of rotation is inclined to the axis of the orbit around the Earth. Thanks to these small movements, which are collectively called libration, a total of about 60% of the lunar surface is visible to an observer on Earth. In turn, an observer located on the border of the lunar disk can see the sunrise and sunset of the Earth. Magnificent view of the Earth rising above the Moon:

Moonbows

There are also lunar rainbows that arise from sunlight reflected by the Moon. Since this light is significantly weaker than direct sunlight, to the human eye a lunar rainbow usually looks just white, but a camera with a long exposure can capture it in color. Moonbow at Victoria Falls:

The relationship between the phases of the moon, writing and lunar chronology

We call the emerging disk of the Moon a month. It grows from right to left and decreases in the same order. Therefore, after the new moon, when the Moon is completely invisible, a month appears, the horns of which point to the left. And after the full moon, when the Moon wanes, gradually turning back into a month, its horns are already directed to the right. Therefore, it is always easy to determine what phase the Moon is in. What we see The illuminated shape of the Moon always changes from right to left, also influenced the direction of writing in Arabic writing. In some countries, lunar chronology is adopted along with the usual solar Gregorian calendar. Thus, The year 2014 corresponds to 1435 according to the Islamic calendar and 2557 according to the Buddhist calendar. Thin crescent moon, nascent moon site behind the ancient Parthenon temple in Athens:

Here's some more interesting information about the Moon:

1. Few people know that there is a real monument to the fallen astronauts on the Moon. It is a small man in a spacesuit, measuring 8 cm, made of aluminum and installed in 1971. The figurine also includes a plaque with the names of the dead people. Among the other 14 cosmonauts, the name of Yuri Gagarin is mentioned. Eugene Shoemaker (founder of astrogeology) himself wanted to become an astronaut, but was unable to get the job due to minor health problems. This remained the biggest disappointment throughout his life, but Shoemaker nevertheless continued to dream that one day he would be able to visit the Moon himself. When he died, NASA fulfilled his greatest wish and sent his ashes to the Moon with the Lunar Prospector station in 1998. website His ashes remain there, scattered among the moon dust.

2. If Belka and Strelka were the first conquerors of space, then the conquerors of the Moon can be called Asian turtles with various bugs, plants and bacteria. They orbited the Earth's satellite for the first time.

3. According to space news, the Moon has such a feature as a sharp temperature drop from -100°C to +160°C, while on Earth the maximum and record difference was recorded once in 1916, Montana (USA ) – amounted to -49 to +7 degrees.

4. There is no atmosphere on the Moon, so there is a black starry sky there all day long. From it, regardless of the time of day, the Earth is always clearly visible.

5. Moon's gravity is 6 times less than Earth's. Based on this information and simple mathematical calculations, an ordinary person can easily lift the weight of a load equal to his own.

6. To help you navigate the site in the distance from the Earth to the Moon, we will give several examples. It will take about 20 days to fly by plane, and up to six months by car at a constant speed of 90-100 km/h.

The more people learn about the Moon, the more mysteries arise that challenge established scientific ideas about it.

UFO on the Moon:

We have already said that all the information about celestial bodies at the disposal of astronomers was obtained at a distance, by indirect methods. The reliability of this information is confirmed by the reliability of the method and their repeated testing under terrestrial conditions. However, direct verification of astronomical data would be of great fundamental importance.

And now the day for such a test has come.

On January 31, 1966, the Soviet Union launched the Lupa 9 automatic station into orbit towards the Moon, and on February 3 at 21:45:30 Moscow time, it smoothly descended onto the lunar surface in an area that astronomers call the Ocean of Storms.

Within a few minutes after landing, the station’s transmitter began to work, sending signals to Earth that the equipment and instruments were ready. The first radio broadcast Earth - Moon! A few hours later, at 4:50 a.m. on February 4, on command from the Earth, the first television session in the history of science from the Moon took place. The automatic station began surveying the lunar landscape and transmitting images to Earth.

What astronomers have long dreamed of has come true. Scientists have at their disposal photographs of the lunar landscape, taken using equipment that was located directly on the lunar surface. What did these photographs tell us?

It is remarkable that the lunar landscape on television images transmitted by the Luna 9 station, and somewhat later by another Soviet station Luna 13, appeared before us exactly as we expected to see it based on recent optical and radio astronomical observations. An uneven surface, pitted with depressions and craters with a diameter of one to several meters, sharp outlines of distant rocks and above all this a completely black sky due to the lack of atmosphere.

It is especially important that the photographs obtained fully confirmed the results of radio observations carried out in recent years, and primarily the conclusions regarding the structure and structure of the lunar soil.

From the analysis of photographs, first of all, it is clear that during landing the station did not sink into the ground. This already suggests that the surface layer on the Moon is quite hard. There are no traces of dust on the ground at the landing sites of these stations. In addition, if there were dust particles near the station, they, attracted by the electrostatic charge acquired by the station during the flight, would have to cover its nodes. Dust would also settle on the lens of the photo-television installation, which would inevitably affect the image quality. However, the image clarity is very high.

The resolution of the equipment of the Soviet Luna 9 station, with the help of which the review and photography was carried out, is such that in the foreground one can distinguish details spaced only 1-2 mm from each other. A person with good eyesight sees approximately the same details under his feet. This made it possible to discover that the surface layer on the Moon is indeed finely porous, with a spongy structure. In particular, the results of radar observations of the Moon were confirmed, according to which the unevenness of the microrelief of the lunar surface should be less than 10 cm.

The uniformity of the microstructure of the lunar soil is noteworthy. This fact indicates that the surface of our natural satellite was influenced by some factors that acted everywhere, and that these factors were constancy and regularity. Most likely, the factors in question were of a cosmic nature.

Apparently, the process of formation of the modern surface layer of the Moon occurred approximately as follows. First, lava poured onto the lunar surface, and only then, as a result of external influences, it turned into the porous substance that covers our natural satellite today.

Prof. is probably right. N. N. Sytinskaya, linking porosity with micrometeorites. However, it is also possible that volcanic phenomena could play a certain role in the formation of porosity, at least in certain areas of the lunar surface. For example, it is known that during volcanic eruptions on Earth, molten rocks, solidifying under conditions of rapid gas release, form something like hardened foam.

Of course, one cannot fail to take into account that on the Moon volcanic processes occur under slightly different physical conditions than on Earth: in a vacuum and under much weaker gravity. A detailed analysis of all these phenomena is yet to come.

According to the famous Soviet scientist prof. A.I. Lebedinsky, the material of the lunar surface in the landing area of ​​the Soviet station “Luna 9” was subjected to repeated processing. He was crushed under the blows

meteorites, then the resulting particles stuck together in a vacuum, turning into solid rock, which in turn cracked from sudden temperature fluctuations, was again subjected to meteorite impacts, stuck together, cracked, and so on many, many times.

Observations carried out using the Luna 13 station, in addition, showed that the mechanical properties of the surface layer of lunar soil are close to the properties of medium-density terrestrial soil. Using equipment installed at the Luna 13 station, direct measurements of the density of lunar rocks were carried out for the first time. It turned out that this density does not exceed one gram per cubic centimeter. This is significantly lower than the density of ordinary terrestrial soils, but close to the density of porous and granular rocks.

In the photographs transmitted by Luna 13, you can see that the density meter, when turning, ironed out a flat area in the ground. This leads to the conclusion that the topmost layer of lunar soil has very little strength.

Interesting data on the mechanical properties of lunar soil were also obtained by the American Surveyor 1 and Surveyor 3 spacecraft.

The results of studying the structure of the lunar surface using photographs transmitted by Soviet automatic stations are in good agreement with the latest radio observation data of V. S. Troitsky. They suggest that the lunar soil is not a hard sponge like pumice, as previously thought, but rather a loosely bonded granular structure, similar to wet sand,

It is also interesting that the Luna 9 station recorded radiation emanating from the lunar surface and, apparently, associated with nuclear reactions that occur in it under the influence of cosmic rays. This confirms the assumption that the lunar soil is significantly affected by cosmic rays.

Another assumption of astronomers was also justified.

We see any object only because it reflects light rays. Why, then, do we see a man standing in tons? Yes, because on Earth light reaches even the shadow; it is sunlight scattered by the atmosphere. There is no atmosphere on the Moon, and therefore the shadows there should be much darker.

Indeed, in one of the images taken by the Luna 9 station, a small stone is visible, located right in the foreground. The photographed landscape was illuminated by the rays of the Sun, which during the first session was at an altitude of about 7° above the horizon. Such a low position of the Sun for the period of photographing was foreseen in advance, because with side lighting, all surface irregularities become more prominent. The stone in question casts a long shadow, in the area of ​​which surface details are almost completely indistinguishable.

Due to the fact that the Moon's radius is almost four times smaller than that of Earth, the lunar surface has a much greater curvature than the surface of our own planet. Due to this, the horizon range on the Moon should be significantly less than on Earth, and indeed, the horizon range in the photograph is about 1.5-2 km.

According to astronomical data, the Luna 9 landing site is a relatively flat area of ​​the Moon. Photographs of two adjacent sections of the lunar surface show that almost to the horizon the terrain is quite smooth and only hills rise in the distance.

The photographs also brought something unexpected. These are individual small and larger stones scattered across the lunar surface. Most likely, these are volcanic rocks that were once erupted from the lunar interior, or fragments thrown out during the formation of meteorite craters. It is also possible that these are initial inclusions in the surface layer, “floating” to the surface during the destruction of the rock.

It is unlikely that these were meteorites. The fact is that there are no traces of impact on the ground under the stones. This means they had to gently land on the moon. A similar case is, in principle, possible if a meteorite flies tangentially to the lunar surface and catches up with the Moon in its orbital movement. Then its speed can be close to the speeds of points on the lunar surface, and the landing can occur without a strong impact. But such a landing on the moon is a rather rare case, and therefore it is difficult to assume that all the fireplaces visible in the photograph have such an original origin.

Very important data on the chemical composition of the lunar soil were obtained using so-called gamma spectrometers installed on board Soviet artificial lunar satellites. These instruments record natural radioactive radiation from lunar rocks. Analysis of the data obtained showed that the lunar surface contains rocks similar in composition to terrestrial basalts. This conclusion was subsequently confirmed by the American Surveyor 5 spacecraft, which carried out a chemical analysis of the lunar soil at one of the points of the Sea of ​​​​Tranquility. It turned out that in this area the surface of the Moon is covered with a mineral of volcanic origin, similar in composition to basalts. This substance contains 53-63% oxygen, 15-21% silicon, 4-8% aluminum, about 3% cobalt and nickel with an admixture of sulfur, as well as magnesium, carbon, sodium and some other elements. In addition, a special magnet attracted iron particles.


Back in the 1960s, Mikhail Vasin and Alexander Shcherbakov from the USSR Academy of Sciences put forward the hypothesis that in reality our satellite was created artificially. This hypothesis has eight main postulates, popularly called “riddles,” which analyze some of the most surprising aspects about the satellite. Because of the question of time and scientific precision, we will set aside most speculation regarding the nature of the luminary in order to concentrate on specific dilemmas that continue to remain mysteries in modern science.

The first mystery of the Moon: artificial Moon or cosmic exchange

In fact, the orbit of motion and the size of the moon's satellite are physically almost impossible. If it were natural, one could argue that this is an extremely strange “whim” of the cosmos. This is due to the fact that the size of the Moon is equal to a quarter of the size of the Earth, and the ratio of the sizes of the satellite and the planet is always many times smaller. The distance from the Moon to the Earth is such that the sizes of the Sun and Moon are visually the same. This allows us to observe such a rare phenomenon as a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely covers the Sun. The same mathematical impossibility applies to the masses of both celestial bodies. If the Moon were a body that at some point was attracted by the Earth and found a natural orbit, then it would be expected that this orbit should be elliptical. Instead, it is strikingly round.

The second mystery of the Moon: the incredible curvature of the Moon's surface

The incredible curvature that the Moon's surface exhibits is inexplicable. The moon is not a round body. The results of geological studies lead to the conclusion that this planetoid is actually a hollow ball. Although it is such, scientists still cannot explain how the Moon can have such a strange structure without being destroyed. One explanation proposed by the above-mentioned scientists is that the lunar crust was made of a solid titanium frame. Indeed, the lunar crust and rocks have been shown to have extraordinary levels of titanium. According to Russian scientists Vasin and Shcherbakov, the thickness of the titanium layer is 30 km.

The third mystery of the Moon: lunar craters

The explanation for the presence of a huge number of meteorite craters on the surface of the Moon is widely known - the absence of an atmosphere. Most cosmic bodies that try to penetrate Earth encounter kilometers of atmosphere on their way, and it all ends with the “aggressor” disintegrating. The Moon has no ability to protect its surface from the scars left by all the meteorites crashing into it - craters of all sizes. What remains unexplained is the shallow depth to which the aforementioned bodies were able to penetrate. It really looks as if a layer of extremely durable material prevented meteorites from penetrating into the center of the satellite. Even craters with a diameter of 150 kilometers do not exceed 4 kilometers deep into the Moon. This feature is inexplicable from the point of view of normal observations that there should be craters at least 50 km deep.

The fourth mystery of the Moon: “lunar seas”

How were the so-called “lunar seas” formed? These gigantic areas of solid lava, which originate from the interior of the Moon, could easily be explained if the Moon were a hot planet with a liquid interior, where they could arise from meteorite impacts. But physically, it is much more likely that the Moon, judging by its size, has always been a cold body. Another mystery is the location of the “lunar seas”. Why are 80% of them on the visible side of the Moon?

The fifth mystery of the Moon: mascons

The gravitational attraction on the surface of the moon is not uniform. This effect had already been noted by the crew of Apollo VIII when it flew around the lunar sea zones. Mascones (from "Mass Concentration" - mass concentration) are places where a substance of greater density or quantity is believed to exist. This phenomenon is closely related to the lunar seas, since the mascons are located under them.

The sixth mystery of the Moon: geographic asymmetry

A rather shocking fact in science, which still cannot be explained, is the geographic asymmetry of the lunar surface. The famous "dark" side of the Moon has many more craters, mountains and landforms. In addition, as we already mentioned, most of the seas, on the contrary, are on the side that we can see.

The seventh mystery of the Moon: the low density of the Moon

The density of our satellite is 60% of the density of the Earth. This fact, together with various studies, proves that the Moon is a hollow object. Moreover, several scientists have ventured to suggest that the above-mentioned cavity is artificial. In fact, given the layout of the surface layers that have been identified, scientists argue that the Moon appears to be like a planet that formed "in reverse," and some use this as evidence for the "artificial casting" theory.

The Eighth Mystery of the Moon: Origin

In the last century, for a long time, three theories of the origin of the Moon were conventionally accepted. Currently, most of the scientific community has accepted the hypothesis of the artificial origin of the lunar planetoid as no less valid than others.
One theory suggests that the Moon is a fragment of the Earth. But the enormous differences in the nature of these two bodies make this theory practically untenable.
Another theory is that this celestial body formed at the same time as the Earth, from the same cloud of cosmic gas. But the previous conclusion is also valid in relation to this judgment, since the Earth and the Moon should have at least a similar structure.
The third theory suggests that, while wandering through space, the Moon fell into the earth's gravity, which caught and turned it into its “captive”. The big flaw in this explanation is that the Moon's orbit is essentially circular and cyclical. In such a phenomenon (when the satellite is “caught” by the planet), the orbit would be sufficiently distant from the center or, at least, would be some kind of ellipsoid.
The fourth assumption is the most incredible of all, but, in any case, it can explain the various anomalies that are associated with the Earth's satellite, since if the Moon were constructed by intelligent beings, then the physical laws to which it is subject would not be equally applicable to other celestial bodies.

The mysteries of the Moon put forward by scientists Vasin and Shcherbakov are only some real physical assessments of the Moon's anomalies. In addition, there are many other video, photographic evidence and studies that give confidence to those who think about the possibility that our “natural” satellite is not one.

The Moon is a satellite of our planet, which is a rather unusual space object, and even the study of it by automatic stations and the landing of astronauts on the surface of this cosmic body did not diminish its mystery. The mysteries of the Moon, the latest data about which are constantly updated, are not only among astronomers, but also ufologists, amateur astronomers and individuals interested in everything mysterious. And if various hypotheses are proposed to explain mysterious observations and incomprehensible phenomena, then some observed paradoxes cannot be explained scientifically, logically, or paranormally.

Moon - riddles and hypotheses

The mystery of some types of “moonquakes” has not been solved to this day. Due to the lack of magmatic activity on our satellite, ground vibrations caused by volcanic activity or seismic activity should not be observed. However, an explanation has been found for three types of “moonquakes”:

  • tremors caused by the fall of meteorites, small asteroids and other space “junk”;
  • soil vibrations caused by external gravitational influences leading to deep movements of lunar layers;
  • thermal shocks arising due to a sharp temperature change caused by the thermal energy of the Sun.

However, according to NASA, a fourth type of oscillation is observed on the satellite of our planet - “moonquakes” with an amplitude of up to 5 points on the Richter scale. Their duration can reach tens of minutes, and no explanation has been found for them. American astronauts observed this phenomenon during one of the landings on the Moon, and, according to their feelings, “... the Moon was ringing like a church bell.”

A mysterious substance, the origin of which has been the subject of several hypotheses, is lunar dust. Organoleptically it resembles extremely abrasive coarse flour. According to the observations of American astronauts, due to the reduced gravitational field, dust is highly fluid, tends to fill any fold, and upon contact with the human body causes a mysterious disease, which was dubbed “moon fever.” Due to its abrasiveness and stickiness, it caused concern among astronauts that it could destroy the boots of their spacesuits during prolonged walking.

The topic of the presence of unidentified objects on the surface of the Moon, which they explain as traces of the activities of extraterrestrial civilizations or structures left by aliens, is always relevant and popular among ufologists and lovers of paranormal phenomena. A favorite subject of discussion are lunar pyramids - structures of regular geometric shape that quite accurately imitate their terrestrial counterparts. There is a lot of information about the observation of unidentified flying objects spotted near the surface of our satellite. Some ufologists observed an architectural structure in the form of a castle floating above the lunar surface. But the most striking thing in these observations is not the very fact of discovering incomprehensible objects - ufologists have a rich imagination, and you never know what you might see after many hours of looking through a telescope. Neither the NASA specialists who launched the Apollo mission to the Moon, nor the Russian scientists who explored the Earth’s satellite using the automatic stations “Luna” and “Lunokhods” in any way refute or comment on these observations. In addition, the Moon, the mysteries and hypotheses about which have at least some explanation, gives researchers a lot of reasons to think about those phenomena that, at the current level of development of science, cannot be clearly substantiated.

Unsolved mysteries of our satellite

The main mystery, which is of great interest to all inquisitive non-professional researchers of the Moon, is hidden not on it, but on our planet. Why, after intensive research carried out in the 60s and 70s of the last century, were they frozen for almost half a century? In his book, the famous American astronomer Carl Sagan believes that a cave with a volume of 100 cubic kilometers discovered on the Moon during its research is a cavity of artificial origin, intended for the life and development of alien creatures. And the alleged contact with them led to a ban on studying our satellite.

At the same time, the mysteries of the Moon, the latest data about which are no less paradoxical, are intriguing and raise a number of questions:

  • it is not clear why expensive programs for studying deep space are needed when most of the lunar mysteries have not been solved;
  • why, while obtaining beautiful photographs of the rings of Saturn or the surface of Pluto, there are no high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface;
  • If an American and Russian spy satellite is able to “read” a newspaper editorial, why don’t similar spacecraft explore anomalous structures and formations on the Moon with the same accuracy.

Why did the leading space powers of the USSR and the USA suddenly lose interest in the Moon? Either they made grandiose plans for its development, even colonization, or for decades there was silence.

This happens when everything is known and there is no point in continuing the study, or when such unexpected results are obtained that the work goes into the secrecy phase. The first option is doubtful: there are no fewer questions related to the Moon even now. But here's the second one...

Signs of a lunar mind?

In 1977, a book by a certain J. Leonard was published in the UK entitled “There is Someone Else on Our Moon” and with the subtitle “Amazing Facts of Intelligent Life on the Moon Discovered.”

An excavator the size of a city on the surface of the moon! This is just one of the author's stunning revelations. According to him, only a very narrow circle of specialists knew about the powerful mechanical devices that American astronauts saw working in the craters of the Moon, about bridges, viaducts, dome-shaped structures and other structures on the lunar surface.


Who this J. Leonard is is unknown. In any case, this is a person who had access to extensive, including top-secret information. He was able to talk with many NASA officials, study thousands of photographs, and listen to hours of tape recordings of conversations with astronauts.

Thirty-five photographs (each with a NASA code number), dozens of detailed drawings made, according to the author, from high-quality large-format photographs, 230 pages of text listing facts and documents, statements from NASA experts and an extensive bibliography lead to a stunning conclusion: NASA and many scientists world-famous people have long known that signs of intelligent life have been discovered on the Moon!

Disinformation? But then the reaction to this publication is amazing. No denials
no comments, no discussion of any kind. Are the pictures fake? But the author in the appendix gives the address where you can get copies of them.




Maybe NASA leaked information? Here is J. Leonard's own hypothesis: “I'm starting to think that NASA is presenting these photographs with the attitude: “Here they are. If you - the public and the scientific community - are not too interested or blind to see these oddities, that's your problem. We don’t have funds in our budget for your education.”

Few people knew about Leonard's book. Its circulation, according to competent people, immediately disappeared from store shelves. The second edition was published in 1978 - the same result. Only copies that were accidentally exported abroad, including to the USSR, remained. But it seems that the Moor still did his job. In 1981, a book (“Alien Bases on the Moon,” by Fred Steckling) was published in the United States, full of facts and NASA photographs depicting UFOs and other phenomena on the Moon and in its environs. In 1992, a book of similar content was published in Japan.

Mysterious light

"Wow!!! - Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, pilot of the Apollo 17 lunar module (December 7-19, 1972) could not contain his surprise already on the first revolution around the Moon. “I just saw a flash on the lunar surface!.. A bright small flash on the northern edge of the Grimaldi crater... where there was only a narrow strip of light.” (It was in this place that Apollo 16 pilot Ken Mattingly saw a flash of bright light).
The next day it was the turn of another pilot, Ronald Evans, to be surprised: “I would never have believed it!” I am right above the edge of the Eastern Sea. I just saw a bright flash with my own eyes! Right at the end of the furrow..."

One of the serious authorities in the field of the physical and geological nature of the Moon, Dr. Farouk El-Baz, a consultant and assistant to many American astronauts, commented on these observations: “There is no doubt that this is something grandiose: these are not comets, and this is NOT of NATURAL origin !”

Strange light phenomena on the lunar disk have been noticed for a long time. Flashes, luminous stripes, moving spots of light were described in detail by researchers of previous centuries. More than 900 recorded cases date back to the 16th century alone.



The library of the Royal Astronomical Society contains information about strange light spots and light fluctuations on the Moon. By April 1871, 1,600 such cases were recorded in the Plato crater alone. Observers saw a flickering blue light or a cluster of specks of light that looked like bright, needle-like dots gathering together. W. Herschel (1738-1822), the founder of stellar astronomy, who discovered the planet Uranus and several satellites of Saturn and Uranus, recorded about 150 very bright spots on the surface of the Moon during a total eclipse.

White sparkling dots arranged in an arc, tiny dots and streaks of light are especially often observed in the Sea of ​​Crises. Sometimes these are tiny dots and stripes of light, united into some kind of figure, sometimes periodically flashing light, similar to intelligent signals.

The attention of astronomers has long been attracted by a strange light in the craters of Aristarchus and Plato. Bright red flashes in the area of ​​the Aristarchus crater sometimes cover areas of several kilometers and are more often observed above dome-shaped structures. Moving objects are observed in the Sea of ​​Tranquility. In 1964, light or dark spots were seen there at least four times, spreading over tens and even hundreds of kilometers in a few hours.

On September 11, 1967, for 8-9 seconds, Canadian researchers observed a dark rectangular spot with purple edges moving from west to east over the Sea of ​​Tranquility. It was clearly visible until it entered the night area.

After 13 minutes, a flash of yellow light was recorded along the path of the spot near the Sabine crater. And, apparently, it was no coincidence that a year and a half later, Apollo landed in this area! 1". The study of lunar soil at the landing site surprised experts. The soil was melted by a light source 100 times brighter than the Sun. Experts believe that the source of radiation was at a low altitude above the Moon. But these are not the engines of the Apollo lander.



In 1968, NASA published a summary of the observations in the Chronological Catalog of Lunar Event Reports. Among the 579 phenomena the following were named: moving luminous objects; colored trenches lengthening at a speed of 6 km/h; giant domes that change color; a large luminous object, the so-called "Maltese Cross", observed on November 26, 1956; geometric figures; disappearing craters and other things that cannot be explained. The catalog also records the speed of movement of the mentioned spots in the Sea of ​​Tranquility - from 32 to 80 km/h.

Logic dictates that the vast majority of lunar phenomena simply remain outside our field of vision. After all, there is also the other side of the Moon.

Something lands, something flies

In the summer of 1955, V. Yaremenko from Odessa looked at “countless lunar craters, mountains and seas” through a homemade telescope. “Above the disk, parallel to its edge, at a distance of approximately 0.2 lunar radius, a luminous body flew, similar to a 3rd magnitude star under normal observation,” he recalls. - Having flown a third of the circle (it took 4-5 seconds), the body descended along a steep trajectory onto the lunar surface. It was quite large and... manageable! And artificial satellites did not yet exist in those years...”

Here are the observations of V. Luchko from Lvov (March 31, 1983): “About 2 hours 30 minutes. on the clear, almost full disk of the Moon... a rather large dark body was noticed, quickly and smoothly passing along a slightly curved path through the northwestern part of the disk in the direction from west to east. His journey took no more than a second. After a short period of time, exactly the same (or the same) body again crossed the Moon at the same speed and in the same direction...” That same night, Luchko managed to notice six appearances of the same bodies (or the same one). “In all cases, it was a relatively large, dark, even black body of irregular shape, perfectly visible against the background of the shining lunar disk.”

Our television has repeatedly played a video recording of a shadow moving across the surface of the Moon, which was made by a Japanese amateur astronomer. If this is not a hoax, then the size of the shadow (about 20 km in diameter) and the enormous speed of movement (about 400 km in 2 seconds) suggest a high technical level of the object that left it.

On March 15, 1992, astronomer E. Arsyukhin observed a rapid zigzag flight over the Moon of a black square body about 5 km in size. During the observation period, the object flew about 500 km at the same speed as the “Japanese” one - 200 km/s.

Astronautics gave a new impetus to the study of lunar mysteries. Photographs of the Moon taken from spacecraft, and information obtained during flights and landings on the Moon, forced NASA to seriously study the Earth's satellite. A special program was created to study LTP (“random phenomena on the Moon”, Russian abbreviation - LF, lunar phenomena). Experienced public observers were involved in the program. The results of the research are not known to the general public.

Only hypotheses

Examining photographs from the book by J. Leonard, researcher at the Association for Engineering Dowsing O.A. Isaeva identified zones with an increased energy background on the surface of the Moon and came close to determining the chemical composition of the sources of anomalous radiation. There is reason to believe that these objects contain technetium. This radioactive element, promising for nuclear energy, was obtained artificially on Earth only in 1937; it does not occur in its natural form in nature.

Various theories and hypotheses have been used to explain light LFs. They tried to explain them by flashes in the eyes of astronauts, which occur when cosmic particles hit the brain or eyeball. However, light phenomena are also observed by terrestrial researchers who are not subject to such cosmic bombardment. In addition, flares from cosmic particles are described as instantaneous, and even many hours of glow or periodic flickering in the same place have been observed on the Moon.

They try to explain flares on the Moon by meteorite impacts on rocks and rocks. However, this can only explain occasional short-term and one-time effects. M. Jessup, a mathematician and astronomer who seriously substantiated the connection between UFOs and the Moon, noted that in both the 18th and 19th centuries on the Moon during
spots of light were observed for hours or longer. The moon sparkled, sparkled, flared. And the probability of two meteorites hitting the same place in a relatively short period is negligible.

It has been suggested that at one time on the Moon, gases could have gotten under the uncooled lava flows, but now they are released. But gases spontaneously released in nature, as a rule, do not have color, rhythm, shape or size. And all this is on the Moon. It was not possible to connect the glow of “gases” with the influence of ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Glows are also observed when the Sun does not illuminate the lunar surface.

It has been hypothesized that the Earth's magnetic tail accelerates solar particles that bombard the Moon, causing flares and luminescent excitations. But in this case, the glows and flashes would not have been tied for centuries to certain areas on the Moon (there are 90 of them!).



The hypothesis of volcanic activity contradicts the official NASA concept, according to which our satellite is a relatively dead planet. In addition, the tremors usual for an eruption would have been recorded by a network of seismographs installed on the Moon. However, they were silent even on April 25, 1972, when in the area of ​​the Aristarchus and Herodotus craters a “light fountain” was recorded, which at a speed of 1.35 km/s reached a height of 162 km, shifted sideways by 60 km and dissolved.

In 1992, American astronomer M. Kenton reported strange tremors on the Moon: “Their strength... reaches 12-14 points on the Richter scale. If this process continues for another six months, the Moon will burst and scatter into two halves... Two moons can cause people to experience a state of frustration, mental splitting, and group insanity. The reaction of the animal world, where instincts prevail, is unpredictable...”

Many scientists recognized that tremors on the Moon were something new in scientific observations, but did not believe that the Moon could break apart. And they were right.

Vitaly Pravdivtsev. Scientific director of the information and analytical center "Unknown"

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