In 1971, the Apollo 15 mission left behind data-gathering probes that were designed to measure surface temperatures on the moon. Now University of Michigan geophysicist Shaopeng Huang has shown that radiation from the earth affects those temperatures -- so the probes can also yield valuable insights into the terrestrial climate system. Huang has called for an international effort to create lunar monitoring stations as an aid to future climate modeling. By an odd coincidence, the Apollo 15 astronauts all hold degrees from Michigan. Go Wolverines!

Illustration by David Goldin