It has occurred to me that we are like the devoutly religious. God himself could appear and inform people they got it all wrong and they wouldn't believe him and in the same fashion NASA could own up to the deception and we wouldn't believe them. I admire your passion and convictions. Thanks for this momentary diversion from the curse of boredom.
By 'we' you mean 'you' don't you? You refused to acknowledge the blindingly obvious reason why galactic cosmic rays, and specifically GCR, would not be the same, and, in fact, less, on the lunar surface compared to cis-lunar space. But, no, we have to 'impress you'. See you later, alligator.
Measurements taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show that the number of high energy particles streaming in from space did not tail off closer to the moon's surface, as would be expected with the body of the moon blocking half the sky.
Rather, the cosmic rays created a secondary —
and potentially more dangerous -- shower by blasting particles in the lunar soil which then become radioactive.
"The moon is a source of radiation," said Boston University researcher Harlan Spence, the lead scientist for LRO's cosmic ray telescope. "This was a bit unexpected."
While the moon blocks galactic cosmic rays to some extent, the hazards posed by the secondary radiation showers counter the shielding effects, Spence said at a press conference at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco this week.
Overall, future lunar travelers face a radiation dose 30 percent to 40 percent higher than originally expected, Spence said.
