Why is moondust so sticky? It’s the same phenomenon that causes thin clothes to stick to your skin when they come straight out of the dryer: static cling.
The Moon orbits close enough to Earth that it passes through the magnetotail every full Moon.
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This region of Earth’s magnetic field is full of trapped particles from the solar wind and every time the Moon passes through the magnetotail, it’s bombarded with electrons.
These charge up the dust, which makes it repel itself and cling to the surface of anything else, such as an astronaut.
One possible solution being explored by NASA for the Artemis missions is to wash it off using a shower of liquid nitrogen.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Adam robinson, Devon) 'Why is moondust so sticky?'
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