David Scott does the feather hammer experiment on the moon | Science News

During Apollo 15, astronaut David Scott dropped a feather (in his left hand) and a hammer (in his right) to show that objects, regardless of mass, fall at the same rate in a vacuum.

Video: NASA

[cheezkid]

You can hear his smile in his voice. I love it.

"How 'bout that? :)"

[kylekimmel]

David Scott: "How 'bout that?"
Galileo Galilei: "Yeah, how 'bout that?"

[Resimaster]

When he says that one of the reasons we got here today is because of a gentleman called Galileo, it really brings into focus the achievements that humanity can make when we try. That one man centuries ago decided to start doing experiments and studies, which one day contributed to humans walking on the Moon and talking fondly about him and his work.
He and the many other scientists and discoverers like him would be proud.

[sarahdavis]

*drops hammer and feather on the moon*
"...how bout that?"

[BarokaiRein]

Imagine being proven right about something like this half a millenia after you're dead.

[hareecionelson]

Imagine if Galileo could see this video, he'd be pretty stoked

[dawidsienczak]

this guy gives such an increadible vibe, what a memorable moment, thank you David Randolph Scott you are an amazing person

[brianarbenz]

I was 12 while watching the Apollo 15 moon walks that summer. I absolutely loved that moment. So educational, and fun. Thank you David Scott!

[shigshug]

The man just turned 90 last month, happy belated birthday Mr Scott.

[nathyatta]

Even though this is awesome times 1OO, how incredible will it be to see people walk on the Moon again in 4K!

[homerjaysimpson]

"How 'bout that?"
-David Scott 1971

[marcellobraga]

Mission Apollo 15, 26 july - 7 august 1971. Scott verifies Galileo's theory, that objects in a vacuum fall together, using a hammer and a feather.

[raven_of_zoso]

This was on the third moon walk on the Apollo 15 mission, and Scott's NASA issued Omega Speedmaster watch had not survived the previous moonwalk, and instead he had to use his private watch which he was gifted from Bulova, whom asked him to wear it. The watch was a pilot watch design that Bulova had hoped should fall in favor of the astronauts and thus make NASA "hopefully" make a contract with them instead of Omega. As it happen, Scott brought his one on the mission as his "private/spare" watch and after the Omega failed due to it's crystal popping off because of the conditions on the moon, Scott asked for permission to use his Bulova on the final moonwalk, NASA did grant him this permission and so it was that Bulova got into the highly prestigious moon history. For years this was not remembered until just fairly recently when a man studying the pictures from that mission and was curious about that watch David Scott was wearing and so he contacted him, and suddenly Scott remembered, and he even still had the watch. The watch was sold on auction for a solid $1.6 million dollars, and soon after Bulova made a reissue of this now famous "other" moon-watch.

[EATSLEEPDRIVE]

*T+15 seconds*

"GUYS I FORGOT THE FEATHER! We gotta turn around."

[_derscore]

he just drops the casual "How bout that?" like a true professional

[gives_bad_advice]

The number of commenters who think there is no gravity on the moon is a bit. . . dismaying.

[thefoxygamer]

I remember my 8th grade science teacher showing my class this video. He was the coolest science teacher ever!

[lorentzinvariant]

This is one of the best examples showing, we really went to the moon. Both the feather and hammer took about a second to reach the ground. On the earth, it would take roughly about 0.45 seconds (assuming about a 1 meter drop t=(2/9.8)^1/2 ) You can’t fake gravity. And for those who would say, they slowed the video. That wouldn’t work either. The video technology to slow the video smoothly at that time did not exist. It would have been obvious the video was doctored.

[infinitelyexplosive]

I know how they faked this: They went to a planet with higher gravity, then made the floor out of rubber so things bounce, then played the video of the hammer and feather bouncing off the rubber, but in reverse.

[evertonporter]

I hope I live to see an astronaut perform the same experiment on the surface of Mars😄.