Science

The findings suggest there could be hundreds of pits on the moon and thousands of lava tubes.



A plane passes in front of the moon.
By: AP via Scripps NewsPosted at 6:29 PM, Jul 15, 2024

Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts.

An Italian-led team reported Monday that there's evidence of a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It's located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles from Apollo 11's landing site. The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.

Researchers analyzed radar measurements by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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Most of the pits seem to be located in the moon’s ancient lava plains, according to the scientists. There also could be some at the moon’s south pole, the planned location of NASA’s astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters there are believed to hold frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.

More:
https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/space/scientists-have-confirmed-a-cave-on-the-moon-that-could-be-used-to-shelter-future-explorers