Science for Kids: Why Moon Footprints Last Forever
Footprints on the Moon last millions of years. Why? The Moon has no weather—no rain to wash them away, no wind to cover them with dust. Neil Armstrong's 1969 footprints are still there today, unchanged, because the Moon has no atmosphere to create weather.
Make a footprint in the dirt or sand outside. Come back the next day and look at it again. What happened to your footprint?
Most likely, it has changed or disappeared. Rain may have washed it away. Wind may have blown dust over it.
Footprints on the Moon Are Different
When astronauts walked on the Moon more than 50 years ago, they left footprints in the Moon's dusty surface. Those footprints are still there today, exactly as they were made.
Why Moon Footprints Last So Long
The Moon has no weather. This means:
- No rain to wash footprints away
- No wind to blow dust over them
- No storms to change the surface
On Earth, weather erases footprints quickly. On the Moon, footprints can last for millions of years.
A Permanent Record
The first human footprint on the Moon was made by astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1969. Scientists believe these footprints will remain unchanged for millions of years because the Moon has no atmosphere to create weather.
