First cave on Moon found as scientists reveal why 330ft-deep pit could be perfect home for human colonists to live in
An underground moon cave stretching deep into the lunar surface has been discovered close to where Apollo 11 landed 55 years ago.
Researchers made the finding near the Sea of Tranquillity rising 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 that this is the first time one could be accessible to humans.
The findings were published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.
“These caves have been theorized for over 50 years, but it is the first time ever that we have demonstrated their existence,” co-author Lorenzo Bruzzone explained.
An international team of researchers analyzed radar images from the Miniature Radio-Frequency aboard Nasa’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
The images were obtained in 2010, the same year a pit was detected in the Mare Tranquillitatis, but scientists were unable to analyze the data due to limited technology.
“Years later, we have reanalyzed these data with complex signal processing techniques we have recently developed,” Bruzzone said.
The researchers discovered radar reflections best explained by an underground channel and determined it to be an empty lava tube.
The cave is nestled at least 130 meters underground and appears roughly 45 meters wide and at least 30 meters long.
“This discovery provides the first direct evidence of an accessible lava tube under the surface of the moon,” Bruzzone said.
The discovery has important implications for future space missions.
IN 2022, Nasa-funded scientists determined that shaded areas within the pits measure around a mild 63 degrees Fahrenheit or roughly 17 degrees Celsius.
The pits – and, by extension, the tunnels – would serve as thermally stable sites for lunar exploration, shielding 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 negative 280 degrees Fahrenheit, or around negative 173 degrees Celsius.
And that isn’t all. Cosmic and solar radiation are over 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 the caves have great promise. Scientists believe they can aid humans in establishing a permanent presence on our planet’s nearest satellite.
“Humans evolved living in caves, and to caves we might return when we live on the Moon,” said David Paige, a co-author of the 2022 paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The Moon – our closest neighbour explained
Here's what you need to know...
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space-faring body that orbits a planet
- It’s Earth’s only natural satellite, and is the fifth biggest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles across, roughly 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon vary wildly. Nasa explains: “Temperatures near the Moon’s equator can spike to 250°F (121°C) in daylight, then plummet after nightfall to -208°F (-133°C). In deep craters near the Moon’s poles, permanent shadows keep the surface even colder — NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has measured temperatures lower than -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 to a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about a sixth of Earth’s gravity
- Earth and the 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 appears bright in the sky due to its reflective ground
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun almost completely. Both objects appear a similar size in the sky because the Sun is both 400 times larger and farther
- 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
Nasa‘s LRO has delivered a wealth of data to researchers back on Earth.
It marked the first U.S. mission to the Moon in over a decade and continues to orbit the celestial body.
It created a three-dimensional map of the Moon as part of a program to identify future landing sites and resources, including ice deposits tucked in polar craters.