BTN News: A group of scientists has made an exciting discovery on the Moon. They found a large, easy-to-reach cave that might be a good place for future astronauts to live. This discovery is close to where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon 55 years ago with Apollo 11.
Italian Researchers Lead the Team to Discover a Significant Cave in the Sea of Tranquility
Italian researchers led the team and shared their findings on Monday. They found strong proof of a big cave near the Moon’s deepest known pit in the Sea of Tranquility. This pit is just 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the Apollo 11 landing spot. These pits were made when lava tubes collapsed.
Scientists Used Radar Measurements from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to Find the Cave
Scientists used radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and compared it with lava tubes on Earth. Their study, published in Nature Astronomy, shows the radar only captures the entrance of the cave. They think the cave is at least 40 meters (130 feet) wide and goes on for many meters.
Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento Explain the Exciting Discovery
Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone from the University of Trento said they were thrilled about the find. “Lunar caves have been a mystery for over 50 years. It is exciting to finally prove one exists,” they wrote in an email.
Most Pits Are in the Moon’s Ancient Lava Plains, but There Could Be Some at the South Pole
Most of these pits are in the Moon’s old lava plains, called maria. Scientists think there could be pits at the Moon’s south pole too. NASA plans to land people there in the next few years. This area is important because it might have craters with frozen water, which future missions could use for drinking water and rocket fuel.
Discovery Suggests There Could Be Hundreds of Pits and Thousands of Lava Tubes on the Moon
The discovery means there might be hundreds of pits and thousands of lava tubes on the Moon. These natural places could protect astronauts from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorites. Building homes from scratch on the Moon would take more time and be harder. The team says they would need to make cave walls stronger to stop them from collapsing.
Conclusion: Lunar Caves Offer a Safe Place for Long-Term Missions on the Moon
In short, finding these lunar caves is great news for future Moon missions. These natural shelters could keep astronauts safe and help make long stays on the Moon possible. This could lead to new and exciting space exploration.
