# Are Neil Armstrong's footprints still perfectly preserved on the moon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003 "2002-07-26T20:41:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/21 "2002-07-27T18:36:43Z")
From[Futile Gesture’s Link:](http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/answers/677universe.jsp?tp=universe1) > [@](#): > > Assuming the footprints left on the Moon to be approximately 1 centimetre deep, if the turnover of the top metre takes 10 000 years, it will take 100 years for the footprints to disappear completely. The Astronaut’s footprint stands out clearly[in this photograph of the surface](http://planetscapes.com/solar/raw/moon/footprnt.gif). In fact, there’s no other small scale features that approach the sharpness of the footprint. All the little bumps appear to be resting at a lower [angle of repose](http://www.icsi.berkeley.edu/~dbailey/gallery/image/angleofrepose.html) than Armstrong’s treadmarks. Which begs the question; how’d they get that way, and how long did it take ? That’s what will determine the lifetime of the footprints. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/22 "2002-07-27T21:53:00Z")
So if we ever did build a moonbase, we’d be tracking up the moon like crazy, then. Seems like the moonscape could get pretty ugly pretty fast. [Yosemite Sam] Tarnation! Who got footy-prints all over mah moon?!!! [/Yosemite Sam] ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/23 "2002-07-29T11:43:56Z")
> [@](#): > > ## Lunar Gardening FromFutile Gesture’s Link: quote: > > ## Assuming the footprints left on the Moon to be approximately 1 centimetre deep, if the turnover of the top metre takes 10 000 years, it will take 100 years for the footprints to disappear completely. > > The Astronaut’s footprint stands out clearly in this photograph of the surface. In fact, there’s no other small scale features that approach the sharpness of the footprint. All the little bumps appear to be resting at a lower angle of repose than Armstrong’s treadmarks. Which begs the question; how’d they get that way, and how long did it take ? That’s what will determine the lifetime of the footprints. I like this. After everyone telling me those footprints would last damned near forever, a mere century sounds more likely. Especially after years of “experts” telling us that we’d find the Titanic perfectly preserved at the bottom of the cold, cold Atlantic (see, among other things, the fictional works Clive Cussler’s **Raise the Titanic** and Arthur C. Clarke’s **The Ghost of the Grand Banks** – but they based their suppositions on the claims of others.), then finding the actual boat covered with “rustsicles”. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/24 "2009-11-13T04:32:40Z")
Looks like the footpaths made by the astronauts are still visible in 2009: [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shoots Tranquility Base From 30 Miles Up](http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2009/11/tranquility-base.html) I don’t see the American flag, which should be right next to the descent stage. Perhaps it’s too small to resolve. Flag related thread: [Is the American flag still on the moon?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=436320) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/25 "2009-11-13T05:18:56Z")
More images here: [http://spacefellowship.com/2009/09/29/lro-takes-second-closer-look-at-apollo-11-landing-site/comment-page-1/](http://spacefellowship.com/2009/09/29/lro-takes-second-closer-look-at-apollo-11-landing-site/comment-page-1/) Landing site map with flag position: [![](https://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11psrf3-16.jpg) ](https://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11psrf3-16.jpg) As taken from here: [http://www.ka9q.net/Apollo-11.html](http://www.ka9q.net/Apollo-11.html) ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/26 "2009-11-13T05:30:01Z")
This is probably the best revival of a zombie thread I’ve ever seen. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picard_Kills_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/27 "2009-11-13T05:40:22Z")
Well yes, and no. The “moon” kept in storage in a hollywood basement might not, but I’m sure they took plenty of plaster molds for pictures at later dates.😃 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003/28 "2009-11-13T05:57:45Z")
> [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](#): > > …but I’m sure they took plenty of plaster molds for pictures at later dates.😃 [The Plaster Casters! (NSFW)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Plaster_Caster) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-neil-armstrongs-footprints-still-perfectly-preserved-on-the-moon/121003.md?page=1)