How many golf balls are on the Moon?
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 2:30 am
This is one of the harder astronomy questions I have been asked. I have heard two different answers, and I don't know if either one is correct.
APOD and General Astronomy Discussion Forum
https://asterisk.apod.com/
This is a science forum. As a scientist, I value skepticism. Based on the information you provided, I'd say the correct answer is: the evidence very strongly suggests that there are two golf balls on the Moon, although it remains possible that there is a different number. Shepard might have inadvertently dropped one that he never swung at. A meteoroid may have struck that area of the Moon and either destroyed one of those he hit, or even knocked it off the Moon entirely.bystander wrote:2
Chris Peterson wrote:This is a science forum. As a scientist, I value skepticism. Based on the information you provided, I'd say the correct answer is: the evidence very strongly suggests that there are two golf balls on the Moon, although it remains possible that there is a different number. Shepard might have inadvertently dropped one that he never swung at. A meteoroid may have struck that area of the Moon and either destroyed one of those he hit, or even knocked it off the Moon entirely.bystander wrote:2
Now I very much doubt that these scenarios occurred, but a scientist should always accept the possibility of alternate explanations- and also understand how much merit to give each.
Perhaps it would be more dramatic. With no air, there is no terminal velocity. Skydive on the Moon from a few thousand meters and you'll land hard enough to make a nice crater. No sound through space, of course, but sound travels through the ground. And if you were nearby, the "thunk" you'd feel might be quite dramatic (not as dramatic as the thunk the skydiver would feel, though!)emc wrote:Of course if the skydiver and golfer are on the moon, it would be less dramatic, right?
With no air there would be no sound, right?
Preferable in the sense that it would work a little bit, while a parachute wouldn't work at all. But I don't think it would stop you from killing yourself, unless it was unreasonably large (and it would probably just bounce you back up to where you started, unless it collapsed just right).And a large inflated rubber landing pad would be preferrable to a parachute, right?
Those golf balls are only improving:Soorms wrote:
What effects have the golf balls experienced during their time on the Moon?
With no air to erode them am I correct in saying a golf ball on the Moon would last longer than a golf ball on earth?
http://www.nitrofreeze.com/golf_freeze.html wrote:
<<USGA and PGA rules allow the [Nitrofreeze Cryogenic Tempering] treatment of golf clubs, but not golf balls. Deep-frozen golf balls travel farther, roll truer and don't mark up as easily, according to Rhodes. Nevertheless, some golfers have their golf balls frozen for recreational use. Rhodes deep-freezes them for someone who sells them on the Internet.>>
-------------------------------------------------http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/miscellaneous/golfballs.htm wrote:
<<US Patent application (0020025862) assigned to Spalding Sports:
>>
- "The golf balls of the present invention preferably are crosslinked by irradiation, and more preferably by light rays such as gamma rays or UV radiation. Furthermore, other forms of particle irradiation, including electron beam also can be used. Gamma radiation is preferred as golf balls or game balls can be irradiated in bulk. Gamma penetrates very deep but also increases crosslinking of the inner core, and the compression of the core has to be adjusted to allow for the increase in hardness. Electron beam techniques are faster but cannot be used for treating in bulk as the electron beam does not penetrate very deep. The type of irradiation to be used will depend in part upon the underlying layers. For example, certain types of irradiation may degrade windings in a wound golf ball. On the other hand, balls with a solid core would not be subject to the same concerns." " "Generally a wide range of dosage levels may be used. For example, total dosages of up to about 12.5, or even 15 Mrads may be employed. Preferably, radiation delivery levels are controlled so that the game ball is not heated above about 80 degree C (176 degree F) while being crosslinked."
Think BANANA PEEL:Soorms wrote: With no atmosphere or magnetosphere blocking harmful cosmic rays could the golf ball be dangerous to humans now or sometime in the future?