A new era should be declared on the Moon to recognise human dominance.
Human activity first disrupted the lunar surface when the USSR’s spacecraft Luna 2 left a crater in 1959 and more than 100 other spacecraft have landed or crashed on the Moon since.
Astronauts have also left various items behind – including golf balls, religious texts and bags of human waste.
Geologists and anthropologists argue that these disturbances should be classified as a “lunar anthropocene” – a term used on Earth to describe a period from 1950 onwards in which human activity has had a significant impact on the planet.
Dr. Justin Holcomb, who has led calls for the new Moon era to be declared, from the University of Kansas, said: “When we consider the impact of rovers, landers and human movement, they significantly disturb the regolith.
“In the context of the new space race, the lunar landscape will be entirely different in 50 years. Multiple countries will be present, leading to numerous challenges.”
