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Scientists have long theorized the existence of lunar caves – underground passageways Volcanic processes is connected with Craters covering the surface of the Moon. Now, an international team of researchers has found the first direct evidence that the moon’s deepest known cavity connects to a cave that could provide shelter for astronauts.
Identifying areas on the moon that protect humans and robotic explorers from the harsh lunar environment — including powerful radiation and extreme temperatures — could be critical as countries like the United States and China compete for future space exploration. Long-term human existence On Earth’s closest natural satellite.
To find the cave, the team analyzed archival radar measurements of a crater found within a vast plain. Sea of peaceOr Sea of Tranquility, was the landing pad Apollo 11 Mission In 1969.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter used radar data in 2010 to detect the wavelengths below the surface. Analyzing the data, the researchers found the hollow space at a depth of 130 to 170 meters (426 to 558 feet) underground. Nature Astronomy Journal.
The newly revealed cave, which is at least 45 meters (nearly 148 feet) wide and between 30 and 80 meters (98 and 262 feet) long, may be the first part of a long tube cavity formed by lava — and there may be more caves yet to be discovered, researchers say.
“Lunar caves have been a mystery for a long time. Scientists have suspected their existence for over 50 years. So it was surprising to finally be able to prove the existence of a surface tube,” study co-author Leonardo Carrera, an assistant professor in the Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Trento in Italy, said in an email. He said.
Future research and exploration of lunar caves could provide new insights into the evolution of the Moon. Lunar volcanoThe authors note in the study.
“Caves are a unique environment that preserves the history of the Moon,” Lorenzo Brusone, professor of telecommunications at the University of Trento and director of the Remote Sensing Laboratory, said by email. “Analysis of the rocks inside these caves will enable new (discoveries) related to the evolution of the Moon … such as the timeline and duration of lunar volcanism and the actual composition of the lunar mantle.
“Also, (lunar caves) could be an alternative to or integrated with a site on the moon’s surface,” he added.
Near the Moon’s equator, temperatures reach an average of 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) during the day and drop to minus 208 F (-133 C) at night. According to NASA. Extreme temperatures fell below minus 410 F (-246 C), recorded by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Researchers A July 2022 survey A number of craters have been seen on the moon – some hypothesized to lead to caves As soon as NASA found out – Shaded shelters are more thermally stable and have been found to be consistently around 63 F (17 C).
Tyler Horvath, lead author of the 2022 study at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, “Additional evidence of a cave extending from the floor of the Mare Tranquilitatis crater is very exciting.” An email.
“Lunar caves could offer massive benefits to astronauts and rovers because they could shelter from hazards such as radiation, micrometeorites and temperature extremes on the lunar surface, opening the door to a long-term, large-scale human presence on the moon,” Horvath added. He was not involved in the new study. .
Horvath said the moon has more than 200 known craters, such as Mare Tranquilitatis, but that may extend to only a handful. Some lava tubes may be inaccessible because debris blocks the passageways, Carrer added.
The interior features of the newly discovered cave will remain unclear until a rover or human probe provides more insight. The interior may look like a recently formed volcano on Earth, but much larger, Horvath said. Associate Professor Paul Hein said the cave is dark except where the lava creates bumps and ridges called lavasicles, which look like smooth walls, and where sunlight reflects off the floor of the crater. Department of Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Co-author Heine said the cave’s large size isn’t surprising, given the moon’s low gravity and the effects it could have on the stability of lava tubes, making large caves less prone to collapse. 2022 study but did not engage in new research. Most of the Earth’s volcanic vents are found in Hawaii, the Canary Islands, Australia, and Iceland. 33 to 98 feet in diameter. A August 2020 survey suggested that lavas on the Moon could reach 1 kilometer (3280.84 ft) in diameter.
“We shouldn’t be surprised if future exploration reveals even larger caves. We’re getting a glimpse of the Moon’s internal lava tube system,” Hein said in an email.
The authors of the new study found that the cave was either flat or inclined at a maximum angle of 45 degrees, suggesting it would have been accessible, Carrer said.
But because of the depth of this cave (and other lunar caves), getting astronauts down the hole may require some creativity — involving the use of rock-climbing gear such as ropes and belay devices and large cables for equipment. Building materials, Hein said. Eventually, he added, the process would involve a permanent structure such as a freight elevator.
Other ideas for exploring the deep Mare Tranquillitatis crater and the newly discovered cave include a robotic crane that could be used to lower an astronaut or rover to the ground, which is currently being explored. European Space Agency.
Noah Petro, director of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory, noted that skygazers observing the moon can identify Mare Tranquillitatis, where the cave was discovered, by looking for a large, dark plain. He suggested a visit and gazing at the site on July 20 to mark the 55th anniversary of the landing of Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the moon.
“The discovery of (the craters and possible caves) goes back several years (but) this new information from the radar data is like, ‘Oh, wow. They’re a little bigger than we expected,'” said Pedro, project scientist for both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Artemis III, which was launched in 1972 by Apollo. Petro is not involved in the new mission, which aims to land humans on the moon for the first time since 17.
“LRO has been on the Moon for 15 years now, producing some incredible datasets that are changing our view of the Moon and used to make discoveries like this,” said Pedro. “(The cave) is one of the wonderful surprises the moon will always have in store for us.”
