Thursday, Oct. 08, 2009

Even Tiger Woods Can't Do That

What was the first sport played on the moon? That would be golf. In 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard swung a makeshift 6-iron on the moon's surface — and missed the ball. His second swing, however, connected, and the golf ball went flying "miles and miles and miles," as Shepard put it after his swing. In reality, the ball traveled only a few hundred yards — not bad for a 6-iron. That's not Shepard's fault; while the moon's gravity is only one-sixth Earth's, his space suit was so stiff that he could swing the club with only one hand.