Life on the Moon
Life on the Moon: Isn’t it time we should leave the Earth and start a new life? Have you ever stayed awake at night thinking: How life would be on the moon? In this article, we will try to answer this question and make some sense of it.
It may sound silly, but the questions above do cross our minds. We all have seen movies, cartoons, and dramas based on Aliens and how they will invade our homeland, destroy the Earth and kill all humans.
As human beings, our brains work in a way that when we see something, it creates a curiosity in our minds and creates seeds of 1000’s questions in our minds.
The sun, moon, and shining stars at night all seem so irresistible and captivating. What are they? Is there life there? Are we alone, or is there someone else in this whole universe other than us?
For the first time, on July 20, 1969, humans landed on the moon. It was the historic moment which changed the entire course of history. Before this landmark event, we only had questions and rumors about aliens and life on a Moon.
But now we know facts that are based on scientific evidence. Now we have answers based on science and not on fantasy or imagination. We can now better understand and answer the question that if we humans can live on the moon or not.
To start, the best way would be, we should start from what we need to live and survive. It will be easy for us to understand than answer.
Basic Needs for Survival
For a human to survive, we would require the following. Please note, we are mentioning only the basic needs only.
- Oxygen to breath.
- Food Something to Eat so that we can have energy.
- Water is the most essential part of human life.
- Gravity; otherwise, we would be floating.
- Plants and Animals as a source of oxygen and food.
- Light
- Temperature
- Shelter
- Atmosphere
Oxygen
As we know now, there is now that there is no Oxygen on the moon. You may think that we can bring oxygen cylinders, but it would not be sufficient.
Food
So far, space scientists and researchers have not found anything that could be used as a food source on the moon.
Water
Initially, it was thought that there was no water on the moon. But now the scientist has found some traces of water in humid air, which is still not sufficient for human survival.
Gravity
The Earth has a gravitational force of 9.807 m/2, enough to keep everything on the ground. On the other hand, the moon has 1.62 m/2. Again it is not sufficient enough.
Plants and Animals
So far, scientists could not find, nor they have been able to grow, any plant on the surface of the moon. Plants need soil to hold themselves, absorb minerals and water. The moon soil is different from Earth. The dirt on the moon is made of regolith. Plants also require light and water to grow.
On the other hand, animals also require oxygen, food, water, and the environment to survive, which is unavailable on the moon.
Light
Light is also crucial for our survival. Our body needs to produce vitamin D. For plants to grow, work, etc. We have day and night on Earth, which revolves on average 12 hours. Whereas on the moon, this cycle is of 28 days. This means day or night will be 28 days on the moon.
Temperature
On Earth, there are certain parts where we have extreme temperatures. The lowest recorded temperature on Earth was -89.2°C in Antarctica and the highest 56.7°C in Furnace Creek Ranch, CA, USA. These are just extreme examples.
On the moon, the temperature drops to -173°C when the Sunsets and 127°C after the Sunrise. And do not forget, a day and night on the moon are equal to 27.3 days of Earth.
Shelter
It may not seem essential, but humans or creatures need to survive. On Earth, we call it home, made out of bricks, wood, cement, etc. But on Earth, there is no possibility to have shelter.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the planet. On Earth, the atmosphere helps make life possible. It provides us air to breathe and blocks the harmful UV rays from the sun.
On the other hand, it was considered that the moon did not have an atmosphere or water until Apollo 17 mission. Now we know that moon also has a strange atmosphere made of uncommon gasses, including unusual gases, including sodium and potassium. Again this is not good for human survival.
Conclusion
I am sure the above short article has given you some knowledge and answered your question about why Life on the Moon is impossible. Well, at least till today. We cannot say about the future because we have also learned that there are traces of Water & the Atmosphere on the Moon in recent times. Gods know, in the future, we come up with new technologies which may open the door to the whole new world/s.