A cave is discovered on the moon

2024-07-16 11:47:00, Kuriozitete CNA

Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago. Scientists believe that there are hundreds of other caves on the moon that could house astronauts in the future.

A team led by Italian scientists announced on Monday that they have evidence of a large cave whose entrance is in what is known to be the deepest hole on the moon and lies in the "Sea of ??Tranquility". , about 400 kilometers from the place where the 'Apollo 11' mission landed.

The depression, with about 200 others like it discovered there, was created by collapsing lava tubes, according to scientists.

The researchers analyzed radar measurements from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which observes the Moon, and compared the results to lava veins on Earth. Their study was published in the journal "Nature Astronomy".

The radar data shows only the initial part of the lunar cavity, according to scientists. They estimate that the cave is at least 40 meters wide and several tens of meters long, and maybe more.

"The lunar caves have been a mystery for more than 50 years. So the proof of the existence of a cave was exciting," Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento said in an email.

Most of the craters appear to be located in the moon's ancient lava fields, according to scientists. Astronauts from NASA plan to land on the south pole of the Moon at the end of this decade, where there may be similar pits. It is believed that there is water in lunar craters that are never illuminated by the sun, which can be used for drinking water and rocket fuel.

During NASA's Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the moon, starting with Armstrong and Aldrin on July 20, 1969.

The findings suggest there may be hundreds of craters on the moon and thousands of lava tubes. They can serve as a natural shelter for astronauts, to protect them from cosmic rays and solar radiation, as well as from micrometeor impacts, particles as small as a grain of sand.

Building settlements from scratch would take more time and pose a challenge, even when considering the potential need to reinforce the cave walls to prevent collapse, the team said.

Rocks and other materials inside these caves, unchanged by the harsh conditions of the lunar surface over time, can also help scientists understand the evolution there, especially when it comes to volcanic activity./ Voa