The Moon's new era: Humanity is leaving golf balls and feces on the Moon

Due to the level of change humans have made and plan to make on the lunar surface, researchers state that it should be accepted that the satellite is in a new era. Furthermore, with spacecraft returning to the surface and taking humanity there once again, we aim to shape the lunar environment even further in the coming years.

THE MOON'S NEW ERA BEGAN IN 1959

Researchers state that the formal recognition of the changes made by humanity offers an important way to clearly demonstrate that the lunar surface is not immutable and that humanity has significantly altered it. The argument that the Moon has entered a new era is included in a commentary article published in Nature Geoscience. In this study, reported by Independent Türkçe, researchers say it can be considered that this era began in 1959, when Russia's Luna 2 spacecraft made the first landing on the lunar surface.

Justin Holcomb, a researcher in geology at the University of Kansas and lead author of the article, says, "The idea here is much the same as the Anthropocene debate on Earth; it is the exploration of how much humans have affected our planet."

Whether it was hundreds of thousands of years ago or in the 1950s, there is a consensus that the Anthropocene on Earth began at some point in the past.

Similarly, we argue that the Lunar Anthropocene has already begun on the Moon, but we want to prevent massive damage and the delay of its recognition until we measure a significant lunar halo caused by human activity, which could be measured too late. Humanity has already left a series of remnants on the lunar surface. In addition to the famous golf balls and flags left there during the first landing, human feces and other trash are among the items left on the surface.

Moreover, as humanity works to change the Moon's surface, people are preparing to dig and even live there. Holcomb says, "Cultural processes are starting to outpace the natural background of geological processes on the Moon."

THE LUNAR LANDSCAPE WILL BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN 50 YEARS

These processes involve the transport of lunar sediment, which we call 'regolith'. Typically, these processes include meteorite impacts and mass wasting events, among others. On the other hand, when we consider the impact of rovers, landers, and human movement, these significantly disturb the regolith.

In the context of the new space race, the lunar landscape will be completely different in 50 years. The presence of multiple countries there will lead to numerous challenges. Our goal is to dispel the myth that the Moon is static, emphasizing the importance of the impact we have created not only in the past but also currently and in the future. We aim to initiate discussions about our impact on the lunar surface before it is too late.