Apollo 15's Flag

[Missioncmdr]

This has been bothering me for a while now. As you can see in the video, the flag does indeed wave. I was curious as to what caused that. Interestingly, the fact that the flag waves that long proves that it is in a Lunar environment. The video was originally uploaded by a moon hoaxer, but this does not change my beliefs in any way.

 

[CigDriver]

The astronaut twisted the flagstaff. The waving flag is the residual motion from that twisting action. As you indicated the lack of atmosphere on the moon allowed the motion to continue for quite some time. At least acording to mythbusters

 

[Saturn V]

I'd have to agree with Cig...that flag was banged around pretty good durring the "planting." Looks like residual motion to me too...

 

[Missioncmdr]

Even after the astronaut passes it at 2:37?

 

[pete.dakota]

It seems to me that the astronaut passes and either knocks the flag, or creates sufficient shock waves from hopping past the pole to allow the flag to 'wave' residually where there is no atmosphere to slow it.

 

[Eagle]

Its entirely possible that the regolith shifted just enough to cause perceptible motion in the flag. Kind of like how plates on the top shelf will rattle when people stomp by too fast. Or the astronaut bumped the flag or just residual motion. Maybe the astronaut's suit out-gassed a little and blew the flag.
*shrug*

 

[Spicer]

Maybe the -walker farted. That would be some out-gassing, right?

 

[MajorTom]

I never saw the mythbusters episode, so let me ask if anyone knows if there are any thermal effects in play?

If the hot rays of the sun heat up one side of the flag, perhaps there would be some flexing going on, that usually would not be seen in the high-gravity, full atmosphere condition we have here on Earth?