Did you know that scientists have grown plants in dirt from the moon for the very first time? More than 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin collected lunar soil, and scientists wondered if anything could grow there. It was amazing that all soil samples sprouted thale cress seeds!
Biologists have used Thale cress for a variety of experiments because it's easy to observe how the plant changes over time. It was noticed that the moon-dirt seedlings were small and stunted. Scientists think this results from the soil spending millions of years exposed to solar radiation from the moon and cosmic radiation. It might be possible to grow stronger, healthier plants if astronauts planted seeds in lunar lava flow dirt. They could also experiment with lighting and fertilizer to get things going.
How cool is that!
小伙伴们你们知道吗，科学家们第一次在月球的土壤中种出了植物！50多年前， 著名的宇航员Neil Armstrong和Buzz Aldrin从月球带回了土壤样本。之后，科学家们就一周想知道植物是否能在那里生长。于是，他们进行了一些实验。结果，每一份阿拉伯芥的样本都成功发芽!
因为科学家们能很容易地观察到阿拉伯芥的生长变化，所以这种植物经常被用到各种实验中。通过实验，人们发现，种植在月球土壤中的幼苗个头较小且较弱。研究人员推测这可能是由于月球土壤在被太阳以及宇宙射线辐射较长时间的结果。如果植物能够在月球熔岩土中培育，可能会长更强壮更健康。另外，结合光线和肥料，也可能有助于幼苗成长。
如果这类实验成功，未来就可以在月球上种植各种植物了，这真是太棒了!