Researchers have presented evidence of the existence of a potentially accessible underground shaft beneath an open pit on the Moon, located some 427 feet deep and 148 feet wide, Nature Astronomy reports today.
The study, led by the University of Trento (Italy), provides information on lunar geology and its role as Possible refuge for future manned missions to the surface of our satellite.
The researchers analyzed radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft taken at the Sea of Tranquility, the site of the first human landing on the moon in 1969.
For at least half a century, scientists have They have theorized about whether there are tunnels under the surface of the Moon and the new research aims to end the debate by pointing out the existence of a conduit that would be an empty lava tube..
More than 200 pits have been found on the surface of the Moon, some of which, called “skylights,” are formed by the collapse of an underlying lava tube.
The team reanalyzed, using new complex signal processing techniques, data obtained by the LRO probe in 2010 from the Sea of Tranquility, the deepest known trench on the Moon, with a radius of about 100 meters, vertical walls or overhangs and a sloping floor.
They observed an increase in radar brightness on the west side of the pit and, using simulations, concluded that this can be explained by the presence of a cavity or conduit expanding from the west side of the pit bottom.
The authors suggest that volcanic tubes or conduits could be a common feature beneath the lunar plains.
The shaft lies at a depth of between 130 and 170 metres; it is between 30 and 80 metres long and about 45 metres wide. The cave is also potentially flat or inclined by a maximum of 45 degrees and is probably accessible.
Accessible lava tubes or conduits could provide a warmer environment than the surface, but it was not known for certain whether they provided access to caves with large underground volumes.
The study has scientific significance and implications for the development of missions to the Moon, a hostile environment for human life, where surface temperatures on the illuminated side can reach 127 degrees, while on the hidden side they can drop to -173.
In addition, cosmic and solar radiation can be up to 150 times more powerful on the lunar surface than that experienced on Earth, and there is a constant threat of meteorite impact.
These conditions drive the need to find safe places to build infrastructure that can support sustained exploration, and caves like this offer a solution.