Summary of Apollo 11 Lunar Science Conference

Abstract

On 24 July 1969 the first samples from our sister planet, the moon, were returned to earth for direct scientific investigation. Prior to this, our understanding of the extraterrestrial universe derived from study of electromagnetic radiation from stars and planets, from study of cosmic rays, and from analysis of meteorites. Meteorites were, until the return of Apollo 11, the only extraterrestrial objects we could actually hold in our hands and scrutinize in the laboratory. Unlike meteorites, the lunar samples come from a good sized planetary object whose location is well known.

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