An Italian-led team of scientists has announced that they have identified evidence of a giant cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago.
The cave is located in the Sea of Tranquility, just 400 miles from the Apollo 11 landing site, and researchers hope to find future They believe there may be hundreds more caves that could accommodate astronauts. Apollo 17 in 1972 was the final flight of the Apollo program.
Scientists say the hole, like more than 200 others discovered there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.
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The Mare Tranquillitatis Pit Crater, where the cave was discovered, is approximately 330 feet deep. (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
Researchers analyzed radar images of the Mare Tranquillitatis Pit (MTP). The pit has an oval skylight with vertical or overhanging walls and a sloping pit floor that appears to extend further underground. Radar images were taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2010 and the results were compared to lava tubes on Earth.
“We find that some of the radar reflections originating from the MTP can be attributed to underground cave conduits tens of meters long, indicating that the MTP connects to cave conduits accessible beneath the lunar surface. ,” the study’s abstract says.
“This discovery suggests that the MTP is a promising location for a lunar base, as it could provide shelter from the harsh surface environment and support long-term human lunar exploration. .”
Scientists say the radar data reveals only the first part of the underground cavity. It’s estimated to be at least 130 feet wide, dozens of yards long and possibly more, and is about 330 feet deep, making it the deepest known hole on the moon, according to NASA. It is said that it can be accessed from MTP.
“The lunar caves have remained a mystery for more than 50 years, so we were thrilled to finally be able to prove their existence,” Leonardo Carrère and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento wrote in an email to The Associated Press. .
Scientists say most of the holes appear to be in the moon’s ancient lava plains. There may also be some at the moon’s south pole, where NASA astronauts are scheduled to land later this decade. There, a permanently shadowed crater is thought to contain frozen water that could provide drinking water or rocket fuel.
During NASA’s Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the moon, starting with Armstrong and Aldrin on July 20, 1969.
On this day in history, June 18, 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly into space.


The moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty on September 18, 2021 in New York City. Viewed from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Gary Hershawn/Getty Images)
This discovery suggests that there may be hundreds of holes and thousands of lava tubes on the moon. Such sites could serve as natural shelters for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and even micrometeoroid impacts.
The researchers said building the habitat from scratch would be more time-consuming and difficult, even considering the potential need to reinforce cave walls to prevent collapse.
Mahesh Anand, a professor of planetary science and exploration at the UK-based Open University, said the lunar habitat in caves would be less hostile than what astronauts would experience on the lunar surface.・Told the news.
“For example, there will be less variation in ambient temperature between day and night on the Moon, which will provide better protection from cosmic radiation and micrometeorite impacts,” he told the outlet.
“However, accessing the 100-meter (330-foot) deep chute is difficult and requires innovative engineering solutions to establish a sustainable habitat.”
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Two views of the Mare Ingeni pit, another pit on the moon. Shadow measurements indicate that the Ingeni pit is approximately 230 feet deep. (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
The United States aims to return crews to the moon by the end of 2025 as part of a new commitment to human missions, with support from private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. They plan to land on the moon’s south pole, where permanently shadowed craters are thought to be filled with frozen water.
In February, the United States witnessed Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar module land near Malapart A in the moon’s south polar region. It was the first American spacecraft to land on the moon since the last manned Apollo mission more than 50 years ago.