Question:
I hear that the rays on the moon are so lethal that astronauts have
to wear a space suit so they aren't burned. So why doesn't the American flag
they stick on the moon, burn up? The flag isn't wearing a protective suit.
Replies:
The "burning" is this case is from cosmic rays and gamma radiation,
both of which "burn" in the radiation sense of the word. Of course, the primary
reason astronauts wear spacesuits on the moon is to protect against the vacuum
of outer space-- the moon has virtually no atmosphere.
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