50 years ago, cosmic rays caused Apollo astronauts to see light

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Light flash poses no threat to short space flights , science news12 May 1973

the light shines and streaks appear [Apollo] Astronauts have long been attributed high-energy, heavy cosmic particles (HZE) passing through the eye. A new report … concludes that the particles do not pose a serious threat to short trips to the Moon or Earth-orbiting missions such as Skylab.

Updates

mechanism behind brightness Described by the Apollo astronauts A mystery remains. Perhaps the particles, which are components of cosmic rays, emit radiation as they pass through part of the eye. Or perhaps they trick nerve cells to create the illusion of light. Although flares do occur, they are still an issue for astronauts. In 2006, about 80 percent of NASA and European Space Agency astronauts reported feel the glow, How phenomena affect astronauts’ health after months or years in deep space is ambiguous, As NASA plans crewed missions to Mars and the Moon, scientists are devising new ways to protect astronauts from radiation ,Sn: 7/4/20 and 7/18/20, p. 18), such as portable magnetic shields that can deflect cosmic rays.

Helen Thompson

Helen Thompson is the Multimedia Editor. He has bachelor’s degrees in biology and English from Trinity University and a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University.



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