Smell of a place

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Now that the moon rover from the lander has begun its exploration of the moon, the first natural question is, ‘What is the smell of the place'? In fact when we enter a new place, our first sensory contact is with smell, which sends subtle signals about our being in the place. The smell produces signals of our authentic presence in that place and it is committed to memory. Nothing is more primordial, deep rooted than the sense of smell. Some think it goes back to the way we evolved: Smell is one of the most rudimentary senses with roots in the way single-celled organisms interact with the chemicals around them. So it has the longest evolutionary history. 

Astronauts who have landed on the moon say the moon-dust smells like spent gunpowder, as if someone has just fired a carbine. But it occurs that none of the flammable organic molecules in gunpowder are found in lunar soil. So why the smell? There are several answers, but none conclusive.

One answer could be the moon is like a 4-billion-year-old desert. It is incredibly dry. When moon-dust comes in contact with moist air in a lunar module, you get the 'desert rain' effect. Another explanation is the gases 'evaporating' from the moon-dust might come from the solar wind. Unlike Earth, the moon is exposed to the hot wind of hydrogen, helium and other ions blowing away from the sun. These ions hit the moon's surface and get caught in the dust. The ions are easily dislodged by footsteps and they would be evaporated by contact with warm air inside the lunar module. Solar wind ions mingling with the cabin's atmosphere would produce a distinctive 'solar wind' smell.

Another possibility is that oxygen starved moon-dust "burns" in the lunar lander's oxygen atmosphere. Oxygen is very reactive and would readily combine with the dangling chemical bonds of the moon-dust. The process, called oxidation, is akin to burning. Although it happens too slowly for smoke or flames, the oxidation of moon-dust might produce an aroma like burnt gunpowder. Note: Burnt or not burnt gunpowder do not smell the same. Apollo astronauts were specific, moon-dust smells like burnt gunpowder.

Curiously back on Earth moon-dust has no smell. It has been "pacified." All of the samples brought back by Apollo astronauts have been in contact with moist, oxygen-rich air. Any smelly chemical reactions, or evaporation ended long ago.

If we are to get any answers about our celestial origins, our best chances are to 'smell it out' by trusting our sense of smell. Given its evolutionary roots, it has been integral to our existence and survival from primordial times.

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