Are stars visible from the lunar surface.

[DoctorTea]

I was browsing the Cornell University Astronomy web site and I read in an answer to a question posed by a school teacher that one should be able to see stars from the lunar surface when looking up into the moon's sky "day or night" as there is no atmosphere. This made sense to me. So then I got curious and went to see what stars the Apollo astronauts were indeed able to see as I suspected one could see stars all the better with no atmosphere. Well I must say I found myself so very surprised to hear Neil Armstrong tell Patrick Moore in a 1970 BBC interview that the only objects one can see from the moon's surface in the lunar sky are the the planet earth and the sun. So now I am very confused. The Cornell Astronomy Dept. people's answer to the teacher makes sense to me. But on the other hand, the the Cornell astronomers have never been to the moon and maybe they are not as smart as they think they are. What is the correct "answer" if one could call it that. By the way, one can find the Neil Armstrong interview on You-Tube, just search "Neil Armstrong, BBC, 1970 interview, Patrick Moore". It is short and the stuff about not seeing stars is the first issue addressed. Thanks!!! Patrick

[neufer]

[b][color=#FF8000][size=175]gold plated visor[/size][/color][/b]

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[Chris Peterson]

I was browsing the Cornell University Astronomy web site and I read in an answer to a question posed by a school teacher that one should be able to see stars from the lunar surface when looking up into the moon's sky "day or night" as there is no atmosphere. This made sense to me. So then I got curious and went to see what stars the Apollo astronauts were indeed able to see as I suspected one could see stars all the better with no atmosphere. Well I must say I found myself so very surprised to hear Neil Armstrong tell Patrick Moore in a 1970 BBC interview that the only objects one can see from the moon's surface in the lunar sky are the the planet earth and the sun. So now I am very confused. The Cornell Astronomy Dept. people's answer to the teacher makes sense to me. But on the other hand, the the Cornell astronomers have never been to the moon and maybe they are not as smart as they think they are. What is the correct "answer" if one could call it that. By the way, one can find the Neil Armstrong interview on You-Tube, just search "Neil Armstrong, BBC, 1970 interview, Patrick Moore". It is short and the stuff about not seeing stars is the first issue addressed. Thanks!!! Patrick

As noted, the astronauts had attenuating visors. The Earth's atmosphere doesn't attenuate the stars very much, so if you were on the Moon, got yourself in a shaded area so you didn't have a lot of local glare, and could remove your "dark glasses", you might expect to see quite a few stars in the day. But you'd still not be very well dark adapted, so you'd see less than you would at night on Earth. At night on the Moon you'd have less than a magnitude of increased sensitivity. An experienced observer would note the difference, but most people wouldn't see anything different than they'd see on a dark night back home.

[BMAONE23]

You can try this on any clear night you wish. The Lunar surface, regardless of how white it looks from home, is actually about the color of asphalt paving. Go to your local supermarket at night preferably after closing so there is less traffic. Lie down on the paved surface, while the parking lot lights are still on and under the glare of a light, to simulate the glare of the sun because under full sun, the lunar surface will be as bright as the parking lot surface in the day light. then look up at the sky and count the stars. You will likely only be able to see the brightest few stars because of the ambient light. The effect is similar on the moon on the lighted side. If you could shield the solar radiation without the attenuating visor "Gold Sunglasses", you would likely only be able to see the brightest few stars while in ghe glare of the light. But, as Chris suggested, If you get yourself out of the glare, like at the botom of a shaded crater, you would likely see the full field of stars, but no twinkle though.