Can Human Beings Live on Moon? Check the Recent Discovery Made on Moon

Is the moon habitable? The answer to this question is still a no. However, the recent discovery of a cave-like structure on the land of the moon has started contradicting this theory.

A group of scientists have established that a cave has been found on the moon. The position of this cave is not far from where the first lunar landing took place fifty-five years ago in 1969. This finding may one day afford astronauts a comfortable home on the moon.

Key Findings 

The findings were first published in a study named, “Radar evidence of an accessible cave conduit on the Moon below the Mare Tranquillitatis pit” in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy. 

Scientists including Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone studied pictures of the moon taken by a NASA spacecraft called Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in the year 2010. These pictures showed an area that has the deepest hole ever found on the moon, which has now been proven to be a cave. 

The cave spans an area equal to fourteen tennis courts, measuring around 45 meters in width and 80 meters in length.

ALSO READ: Has Chandrayaan 3 Rover Pragyan Found the Origin of Moon? Check Latest Findings of Chandryaan 3

How are Lunar Craters and Pits Different?

Unlike craters, which are bowl-shaped, pits are large, steep-walled depressions. Craters are created due to the impact caused by the collision of asteroids on the lunar surface, while pits are usually formed by lava due to volcanic activities that happened billions of years ago. There have been over 200 of these pits discovered to date, 16 of which have been shown to be the result of collapsing lava tubes.

Although the presence of caves on the lunar surface has been theorized for more than 50 years, this is the first time a cave's entrance has been found.

Could This Cave Make the Moon Habitable for Humans?

The Moon is exposed to solar radiation 150 times stronger than that of Earth. NASA stated that the lunar surface heats to about 127 degrees Celsius during the day and cools to around -173 degrees Celsius at night. 

However, caves like the one recently discovered maintain stable temperatures of about 17 degrees Celsius. These caves could protect human astronauts from radiation and micrometeorites. Scientists belive that this discovery has made these caves a potential location for future lunar bases.

What does the Future Contain?

Even though scientists have deemed the caves to be safe, they are difficult to access. There are certain natural events like potential avalanches or cave-ins are possible, which can put the life of the astronauts in jeopardy.

According to researchers, additional study is necessary to completely comprehend the construction of these caverns. Robots, specialized cameras, or ground-penetrating radar could be used for this. The long-term viability of these caverns would also depend on the installation of seismic monitoring systems and safety zones that shield visitors from potential geological hazards. 

Ultimately, the discovery of the lunar cave has intriguing prospects for future lunar dwellings; however, further research and advancements in technology are required to fully actualize these prospects. 

 ALSO READ: OpenAI Launches Affordable AI Tool: Discover Its Cost and Advanced Features