Lunar Olympics
Thursday, 9. March 2006, 01:30:45
based on a Science@NASA report
It's only a matter of time. One day, winter Olympics will be held on the moon.
The moon's dust-covered slopes are good places to ski. There's plenty of powder, moguls and, best of all, low-gravity. With only 1/6th g holding them down, skiers and snowboarders can do tricks they only dreamed of doing on Earth. How about an octuple-twisting quadruple backflip? Don't worry. Crashes happen in slow-motion, so it won't hurt so much to wipe out.
And there's a perfect spot for the Olympic Village: the crater Plato. Most people don't know it, but Plato of ancient Greece was not only a philosopher, but also an Olympic champion. Twice he won the pankration competition-a grueling mix of boxing and wrestling. A crater named after Plato sounds like a good place for Olympic athletes to stay. The site is flat-bottomed, filled with raw materials for building stadia and habitats, and like Torino, Italy, the site of this year's games, Plato is near the Alps. That is, the lunar Alps.
The lunar Alps are a range of mountains on the moon named after the Alps of Europe. They are similar to their Earthly counterparts in height, breath and spectacle. Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, most of the winter games have been held in the Alps. Why should the moon be different?
You can see the lunar Alps using a small backyard telescope. Step outside at sundown and look up at the moon. The Olympic Village, crater Plato, is a conspicuous dark oval on the northern shore of Mare Imbrium, the "Sea of Rains." Your unaided eye is sufficient to see it.
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It's only a matter of time. One day, winter Olympics will be held on the moon.
The moon's dust-covered slopes are good places to ski. There's plenty of powder, moguls and, best of all, low-gravity. With only 1/6th g holding them down, skiers and snowboarders can do tricks they only dreamed of doing on Earth. How about an octuple-twisting quadruple backflip? Don't worry. Crashes happen in slow-motion, so it won't hurt so much to wipe out.
And there's a perfect spot for the Olympic Village: the crater Plato. Most people don't know it, but Plato of ancient Greece was not only a philosopher, but also an Olympic champion. Twice he won the pankration competition-a grueling mix of boxing and wrestling. A crater named after Plato sounds like a good place for Olympic athletes to stay. The site is flat-bottomed, filled with raw materials for building stadia and habitats, and like Torino, Italy, the site of this year's games, Plato is near the Alps. That is, the lunar Alps. The lunar Alps are a range of mountains on the moon named after the Alps of Europe. They are similar to their Earthly counterparts in height, breath and spectacle. Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, most of the winter games have been held in the Alps. Why should the moon be different?
You can see the lunar Alps using a small backyard telescope. Step outside at sundown and look up at the moon. The Olympic Village, crater Plato, is a conspicuous dark oval on the northern shore of Mare Imbrium, the "Sea of Rains." Your unaided eye is sufficient to see it.
+ Full Story
WIDGETIZE
leirom # 10. March 2006, 04:05
Maybe I should give the Norwegian Olympic Committee a hint.
Norway did not do to well in Torino, Italy, the site of this year's games.
It seems that Norway has entered a second bronze age.
scott cumming # 10. March 2006, 22:18
no i didn't know plato was so physical... how interesting.
Madeleine # 10. March 2006, 22:42
green head # 14. March 2006, 13:46
fly.. cool