Mild flashes no hazard for brief house flights – Science News, Could 12, 1973
The sunshine flashes and streaks seen by [Apollo] astronauts have lengthy been attributed to high-energy, heavy cosmic particles (HZE) passing by means of the eyes…. A brand new report … concludes that the particles usually are not a critical hazard for brief journeys to the moon or Earth-orbital missions corresponding to Skylab.
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The mechanism behind the flashes described by Apollo astronauts stays a thriller. Maybe the particles, that are elements of cosmic rays, emit radiation as they cross by means of a part of the attention. Or maybe they trick nerve cells to create the phantasm of sunshine. Nonetheless the flashes occur, they’re nonetheless a difficulty for astronauts. In 2006, about 80 % of NASA and European House Company astronauts reported experiencing the flashes. How the phenomenon impacts astronaut well being after months or years in deep house is unclear. As NASA plans crewed missions to Mars and the moon, scientists are devising new methods to protect astronauts from radiation (SN: 7/4/20 & 7/18/20, p. 18), corresponding to moveable magnetic shields that may deflect cosmic rays.