Yelo Red Blue K E1 QUEST 07.13.

06 (Black
(Magentaplate)
plate)
( Yellowplate)
(Cyan plate)

THURSDAY
July 13, 2006
E

Quest
THE SAN DIEGO

currents
UNION-TRIBUNE

science � arts � tv

Were Galileo and Einstein wrong? Luna 17 (lost)

Soviet/French Starting in
It is a fabled (if unproven) story: Galileo dropped assorted objects off the Tower of Pisa and
1969, Apollo
found that each hit the ground in the same amount of time, regardless of mass or composition.
astronauts left
three reflector
Today the phenomenon is known as the equivalence principle, and it is the key assumption of
Apollo 15 arrays. Two
Einstein’s 1916 theory of general relativity. Some researchers believe the theory may need
unmanned
some rewriting, and a UCSD physicist is testing it by shooting lasers at the moon.
Soviet/
Luna 21
Soviet/French French Luna
missions also
WHAT COULD BE FOUND IN THE ORBITS Apollo 14 sent arrays.
Apollo 11
If the equivalence principle is true,
the sun’s gravity pulls equally on the
Earth and the moon. Therefore
Earth’s orbit and the At the moon, 1 in 30
moon’s average orbit million photons from
follow the same the laser hits one of
path. Average four arrays and reflects
moon orbit The moon orbits the
Earth back to Earth.
Earth, but it also
Actual orbits the sun, giving
moon
orbit
its actual path this
Moon wavy shape.
SENDING LIGHT ON ITS WAY
Earth
orbit The moon’s reflector arrays use a simple method of
angling light to send it back to exactly where it originated.

Reflector array
Consists of
dozens of
retroreflectors.
Earth Moon orbit
moves closer
to sun. Retroreflector
Three mirrors
are arranged
Moon
This would disprove like the corner
If the equivalence the equivalence of a box; the
principle isn’t true, principle, and same tech-
gravity treats the objects scientists would nology used in
differently, and one orbit have to go back to taillights of
would be skewed. the drawing board. vehicles.

The three mirrors are arranged in such a way that when a

photon hits one, it will bounce to the other two and back out.

MEASURING WITH
LASER PRECISION
Scientists find the exact orbits
by measuring the distance
between the Earth and moon by
repeatedly bouncing a laser off
the moon and timing the trip.
The short trip through the The light reflected back
atmosphere causes the to Earth widens, so that
light to fan out until it is it covers an area about
1-2 miles wide when it 10 miles in diameter.
arrives at the moon.

Note: Figures
not to scale
CUTTING DOWN THE MARGINS
The laser starts as a pulse The amount of light returning
about an inch thick and 10 from the moon is minute, but
feet wide from the Apache it allows scientists to reduce
Point Observatory in the previous margin of error .

Sunspot, N.M.. in measuring from

2 centimeters …

… down to 1 millimeter, …

0.000000000000001
percent of the light
completes the 2.5-second, … which might be enough to
473,500-mile round-trip back uncover some of nature’s secrets.
to the observatory’s mirror.

SOURCE: Tom Murphy, UCSD

astrophysicist, project leader

SHAFFER GRUBB / Union-Tribune

PA L E O N TO LO G Y

E1 QUEST 07.13.06 (Black

(Magenta
( Yellowplate)
(Cyan plate)
plate)
plate)