NASA

At a time when robots are scrambling for elbow room on and around Mars, many folks are left wondering why the Moon is roundly ignored. Nobody has been there since 1972, and even lunar robots are absent nowadays.

In this picture, taken on Dec. 13, 1972, Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan salutes the U.S. flag during the last lunar landing mission of the Apollo era (or any era, for that matter). Harrison Schmitt, lunar module pilot, took the picture.

So will we go back? NASA has no firm plans, but there is always hope, a fair amount of clamor, and good reason to go, too. In reality, robots will probably lead any effort back to the Moon. The space agency is presently looking into possible landing sites for a robotic sample return mission.

Meanwhile, the Moon is full Saturday, so maybe you'd like to go out and conduct your own studies of this nearby celestial target.

-- Robert Roy Britt