50 years ago, cosmic rays may have caused Apollo astronauts to see lights
Mild flashes no hazard for brief area flights – Science Information, Could 12, 1973
The sunshine flashes and streaks seen by [Apollo] astronauts have lengthy been attributed to high-energy, heavy cosmic particles (HZE) passing by means of the eyes…. A brand new report … concludes that the particles will not be a severe hazard for brief journeys to the moon or Earth-orbital missions akin to Skylab.
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The mechanism behind the flashes described by Apollo astronauts stays a thriller. Maybe the particles, that are elements of cosmic rays, emit radiation as they move by means of a part of the attention. Or maybe they trick nerve cells to create the phantasm of sunshine. Nonetheless the flashes occur, they’re nonetheless a problem for astronauts. In 2006, about 80 % of NASA and European House Company astronauts reported experiencing the flashes. How the phenomenon impacts astronaut well being after months or years in deep area is unclear. As NASA plans crewed missions to Mars and the moon, scientists are devising new methods to guard astronauts from radiation (SN: 7/4/20 & 7/18/20, p. 18), akin to transportable magnetic shields that may deflect cosmic rays.
