Even though we have visited the moon, there are still a lot of mysteries about our friend in space. But one of them has recently been discovered—sorry, unmooned?—by a group of multinational scientists. They have established for the first time that there is a cave on the moon.
The cave is tens of yards long and 130 feet (40 meters) wide, and it is situated in the moon’s Sea of Tranquility, around 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the Apollo 11 landing site. “These caves have been theorized for over 50 years, but this is the first time that we have ever demonstrated their existence,” a statement from Lorenzo Bruzzone, an Italian University of Trento professor, said.
The data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which was first recorded by the Miniature Radio-Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument in 2010, provided the researchers with their proof. When the team reanalyzed the data using new processing techniques, they discovered radar reflections that suggested the presence of a cave. “An empty lava tube is the most likely explanation for our observations,” University of Trento researcher Leonardo Carrer stated. Even though the team has only found one example of this kind of thing, there are probably a lot more.
Even though the cave’s existence is fascinating in and of itself, there is a lot of potential for further lunar investigation. With surface temperatures ranging from 260 degrees Fahrenheit (127 degrees Celsius) to -279 degrees Fahrenheit (-173 degrees Celsius), the lunar surface is an extremely hostile area. Not to mention the powerful solar radiation, which can reach 150 times the Earth’s radiation levels. Astronauts could, therefore, take refuge in lunar caves.
According to Mini-RF principal investigator Wes Patterson of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, “this research demonstrates both how radar data of the Moon can be used in novel ways to address fundamental questions for science and exploration and how crucial it is to continue collecting remotely sensed data of the Moon.” “This includes the current LRO mission and, hopefully, future orbiter missions.”
