An underground lunar cave extending deep into the lunar surface has been discovered near where Apollo 11 landed 55 years ago.
Researchers made the discovery near the Sea of Tranquility raising hopes that it could be used as a potential base for future astronauts.
Scientists have previously discovered caves beneath the moon’s surface, but said this is the first time one of them may be accessible to humans.
The findings were published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.
“Those caves They were theorized more than 50 years ago, but this is the first time we have demonstrated their existence,” explained co-author Lorenzo Bruzzone.
An international team of researchers analyzed miniature radio frequency radar images aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
The images were taken in 2010, the same year a trench was detected in Mare Tranquillitatis, but scientists were unable to analyze the data due to limited technology.
“Years later, we reanalyzed this data with complex signal processing techniques that we recently developed,” Bruzzone said.
The researchers discovered radar reflections best explained by an underground channel and determined that it was an empty lava tube.
The cave is situated at least 130 meters deep and appears to be about 45 meters wide and at least 30 meters long.
“This discovery provides the first direct evidence of an accessible lava tube beneath the surface of the Moon,” said Bruzzone.
The discovery has important implications for future space missions.
In 2022, NASA-funded scientists determined that the shadowed areas inside the wells measured about 63 degrees Fahrenheit or about 17 degrees Celsius.
The shafts – and, by extension, the tunnels – would serve as thermally stable locations for lunar exploration, protecting astronauts against the Moon’s harsh climate.
The Moon’s surface can heat up to 260 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 127 degrees Celsius, during the day.
At night, temperatures can drop to minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit or about minus 173 degrees Celsius.
two
And that’s not all. Cosmic and solar radiation is 100 times stronger on the lunar surface than on Earth.
Exposure to these emissions can damage DNA and alter the biochemistry of cells and tissues.
It is for this reason that the caves are very promising. Scientists believe they can help humans establish a permanent presence on the closest satellite to our planet.
“Humans evolved living in caves, and we may return to caves when we live on the Moon,” said David Paige, co-author of the 2022 paper published in the journal. Geophysical Research Letters.
The Moon – our closest neighbor explained
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space body that orbits a planet
- It is Earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth largest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles in diameter, approximately 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon vary enormously. NASA explains: “Temperatures near the Moon’s equator can reach 250°F (121°C) during the day, then plummet after dark to -208°F (-133°C). In deep craters near the poles of the Moon, permanent shadows cast the surface even colder – NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has measured temperatures as low as -410°F (-246°C).”
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543.
- It was eventually assigned a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51 billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about one-sixth that of Earth’s gravity
- The Earth and Moon have “synchronous rotation”, which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase “dark side of the Moon”.
- The Moon’s surface is actually dark, but it appears bright in the sky due to its reflective soil
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon almost completely covers the Sun. Both objects appear to be similar sizes in the sky because the Sun is 400 times larger and farther away
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s lunar program.
- The first manned orbital mission was NASA’s Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission.
NASAThe company’s LRO has provided a wealth of data to researchers in Earth.
It marked the first US mission to the Moon in more than a decade and continues to orbit the celestial body.
Created a three-dimensional map of the Moon as part of a program to identify future landing sites and resources, including ice deposits hidden in polar craters.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25570968/Pixel_Google_Aug13_Live_Blog_The_Verge_084.JPG?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Live coverage of the Google Pixel 9 launch event: all the news and products"){kind=tracking}
