10 Unusual Things Humans Have Left On The Moon

Here are 10 unusual things humans have left on the moon. When people travel they often pick up souvenirs to take home with them, but in the case of astronauts journeying to the moon it’s the leaving of items that’s become the norm.

Here are 10 of the more unusual objects that stayed behind.

Number 10. Goodwill messages. Located close to the boot print from the Apollo 11 mission is a silver dollar sized disc containing messages from over 70 nations. The disc left behind was created long before the age of compact digital storage, so making all the words fit required the use of letters thinner than a strand of human hair.  

Number 9. Gold Olive branch. The tree’s bough has long been a symbol of peace, and leaving a gold replica of one behind was intended as a wish for harmony among all mankind. Neil Armstrong placed it on the lunar surface in 1969.

Number 8. Golf balls. In his final moments on the moon, Alan Shepard outfitted a soil-sample taking device with a golf club head and knocked two balls miles into the distance. Some have criticized his swing, but defenders of the astronaut point out that space suits are bulky and hard to move around in.

Number 7. Family photo. For over 40 years, a picture of Charles Duke with his wife and children has been sitting on the moon. It’s covered in plastic and inscribed with the words, “this is the family of astronaut Duke from planet Earth. Landed on the moon, April 1972”.

Number 6. Alumni Association charter. Thanks to Apollo 15’s crew, the University of Michigan Alumni Association has an official outpost on the moon. All three of the men graduated from the institution, and when they went to space they brought along – and left – a document that makes the satellite a legit chapter locale. 

Number 5. Falcon feather. Galileo theorized that in the absence of gravity objects of differing mass would fall at like rates. That idea was tested out on the moon using a falcon feather and a hammer, and it turned out that Galileo was right. The feather, which came from the Air Force Academy’s mascot, did not make it back to Earth.

Number 4. Oregon lava. Per request, a sliver of rock from the Pacific Northwest was given a new, lunar home. When a friend of astronaut Jim Irwin asked if he’d mind taking the solidified lava to the moon, Irwin was happy to comply.

Number 3.Human waste. Getting to the moon isn’t the only tricky part of space travel. Returning home is a difficult task as well, and to make sure all goes well, a lot of excess weight has to be removed from the craft before the journey can begin. Among the commonly abandoned items is human waste.

Number 2. Boots. Special ones are needed for wandering around on the moon, and once that’s done, the footwear just isn’t needed anymore. Thus, they’re abandoned to compensate for the extra weight of all of the rocks and samples being carried back. 

Number 1. Flags. The US has left 6 of them there, and over the decades they’ve been subjected to days of endless sunshine, freezing temperatures, sweltering heat, and ultraviolet rays. Surprisingly, it appears that most have survived the harsh conditions.

What do you think is the most unique item left on the moon’s surface?