This story was originally Appear on WIRED ITALY and has been translated from Italian.
Their existence has been disputed for decades, but now we can finally be certain: There are caves beneath the surface of the moon. This week, an international research team led by the University of Trento in Italy announced a learn in Natural Astronomy reveals evidence of accessible regions beneath the Moon’s surface. The discovery could be crucial for building future colonies on the Moon.
For more than half a century, astronomers have theorized about a network of caves and tunnels beneath the Moon’s surface. In 2009, a team of experts identified a deep crater on the Moon’s surface, supporting the theory that underground caves may have formed on the Moon as lava cooled beneath the surface. This week’s discovery suggests the existence of longer underground tunnels. “These structures have been theorized for more than 50 years, but this is the first time we’ve proven their existence,” said lead author Dr.“ Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento, study coordinator, said.
To make this discovery, researchers looked at data collected in 2010 by radio frequency equipment on board the ship. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbitera spacecraft that has been orbiting the moon since 2009, mapping its surface and looking for potential landing sites for future missions. Based on the images, researchers were able to reveal, hidden in the Sea of Tranquility region, an empty lava tube that astronauts could one day access.
“We analyzed these images using sophisticated signal processing techniques newly developed in our laboratory and discovered that part of the radar reflections from an area of the Sea of Tranquility can be attributed to an underground tunnel,” Bruzzone said. “This discovery provides the first direct evidence of an accessible rocky tunnel beneath the lunar surface.” The data analysis also allowed the researchers to build a model representing the original part of the tunnel. “It is most likely a lava tube that has since dried up,” said Leonardo Carrer, a researcher at the University of Trento and first author of the paper.
These findings could have important implications for future lunar missions. Meteorites and radiation make the lunar environment hostile to humans—cosmic and solar radiation is up to 150 times stronger than radiation on Earth, and the threat of meteorites is constant. Therefore, sheltered areas are needed to serve as landing sites for probes or to build permanent lunar infrastructure. Astronauts may one day find shelter in these caves.
