Scientists have discovered an underground cave on the moon. It is at least 150 meters deep and could be an ideal base for humans to build a permanent base on the lunar surface.
The Scientists said the underground cave appears to be accessible from an open pit in the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometres) from the site where the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot on the moon in1969.
The finding, which first appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy, said that two Italian researchers–Lorenzo Bruzzone and Leonardo Carrer at the University of Trento—discovered the caves by analyzing the radar data collected by NASA’s lunar reconnaissance orbiter (LRO).
The Italian researchers said the analysis of radar data collected by LRO established that the Mare Tranquillitatis pit leads to a cave which is 45 metres wide and up to 80 metres long.
Analysis of radar data collected by Nasa’s lunar reconnaissance orbiter (LRO)revealed that the Mare Tranquillitatis pit, the deepest known pit on the moon, leads to a cave 45 metres wide and up to 80 metres long, an area equivalent to 14 tennis courts. The cave lies about 150 metres beneath the surface.
The cave was made millions or billions of years ago when lava flowed on the Moon, creating a tunnel through the rock, they said.
“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence” AP quoted an email written by the Italian researchers.
Bruzzone, said the cave was made millions or billions of years ago from “an empty lava tube”, adding that such features could serve as human habitats for future explorers as they were “a natural shelter against the harsh lunar environment”.
The cave can be a natural shield for astronauts from harmful cosmic rays, solar radiation and micrometeorites, the scientists said.
“The main advantage of caves is that they make available the main structural parts of a possible human base without requiring complex construction activities,” said Italian researcher Leonardo Carrer.
The scientists further said the moon’s south pole, the planned location of NASA’s astronaut landings later this decade, could also have some caves. These permanently shadowed craters are believed to hold frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.
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Published: 15 Jul 2024, 10:45 PM IST