This week’s new questions

When was it first realised that the lit portion of the moon always faces the sun? And in the comics, Thor is pulled into flight by throwing his hammer. Could a machine “fly” using such a principle?

31 May 2023

The Supermoon rises over houses in Olvera, in the southern Spanish province of Cadiz, July 12, 2014. Occurring when a full moon or new moon coincides with the closest approach the moon makes to the Earth, the Supermoon results in a larger-than-usual appearance of the lunar disk. REUTERS/Jon Nazca (SPAIN - Tags: SOCIETY CITYSCAPE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - GM1EA7D0FC401 — REUTERS/Jon Nazca

When was it first realised that the lit portion of the moon always faces the sun, so moonlight must be reflected sunlight?

Andrew Taubman,

Sydney, Australia

HCNBCF THOR: THE DARK WORLD, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, 2013. ph: Jay Maidment/?Walt Disney Studios/courtesy Everett Collection — Everett Collection Inc/Alamy

In the comics, Thor spins his hammer very fast and hurls it into the air, allowing him to be pulled into flight. Could you make a machine that “flew” using such a principle?

Paul Gray,

Hertfordshire, UK

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