President tweeted Nasa should focus on ‘Mars (of which the Moon is a part)’ over going to the moon, a reversal of previous remarksFollowers of astronomy were in for a surprise on Friday, when Donald Trump announced that the moon is part of Mars. Trump’s declaration shocked many space enthusiasts, because the moon has not traditionally been regarded as part of Mars. Nasa did not immediately respond to a question from the Guardian asking if the moon is part of Mars. Irrespective of whether the moon is part of Mars (it isn’t), Trump’s announcement was doubly surprising given his previous enthusiasm for a moon trip. His criticism of Nasa for “talking about going to the moon” came just three weeks after Trump championed the idea of a lunar visit.

Source: The Guardian June 07, 2019 19:29 UTC