deSitter,
"Just to put this to bed, here is what happens when you get moon dust on a lens at f/16."
Iīm afraid youīre quite wrong. The effect in these NASA pictures is more probably due to "blooming":
"Blooming
Techniques > Glossary > Blooming
Streaks or halos appearing around bright areas of an image that are caused by gross overexposure to the CCD. It's like an electronic equivalent of flare."
Mutatis mutandis, also overexposure of the filmīs emulsion. Thatīs clearly the case at NASA pictures and clearly NOT the case at the ROVīs picture since the central region is actually darker than the surroundings.
Yep, I know that these moon photos have frequented a lot of conspiracy sites. I know also that the "dust" explanation was first presented by NASA itself (tentatively), so youīre not being original. This explanation carries some power, since we know that the Moonīs dust is very sticky due to being electrically charged. Actually, it took some time until the comprehension that dust has a complex cycle on Moonīs surface landed at NASAīs astrophysicists minds _ even some nominally open-minded scientists can have trouble in recognizing the unexpected, see?
By now, Iīm gradually coming to terms with the funny fact that the bigger conspiracy theory here at this forum is that one built by some members to call other people conspiracy theorists, no matter how these people shout they arenīt. This is a little bit sad, but unfortunately, well inside the known range of human stupidity.