True Or False?
Astronauts left mirrors on the Moon during the Apollo missions, allowing scientists on Earth to bounce laser beams off them. This technique accurately measures the distance to the Moon within a few metres, aiding in lunar research and understanding orbital dynamics.
Answer
True - there are 5 reflecting panels on the Moon. 2 panels were delivered by crews on Apollo 11 in 1969 and 2 by Apollo 14 in 1971, each made up of 100 mirrors, or “corner cubes”. Apollo 15 astronauts dropped off a panel of 300 corner cubes in 1971. Soviet robotics, Lunokhod 1 in 1970 and Lunokhod 2 in 1973 both added panels with 14 mirrors. These corner cubes reflect light back in the direction it came from, allowing Scientists on Earth to measure the distance from the Earth to the Moon, detect any wobbles as the moon rotates and test ideas about gravity. The article in the question was found on Facebook, where anyone can post, it is always important to check out the information you read on social media as it may not be true. For more information see the NASA website - https://www.nasa.gov/missions/laser-beams-reflected-between-earth-and-moon-boost-science/
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