{"id":2363,"date":"2026-10-14T03:50:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T00:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=2363"},"modified":"2026-10-14T03:53:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T00:53:46","slug":"scientists-have-high-hopes-for-lunar-caves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2026\/10\/14\/scientists-have-high-hopes-for-lunar-caves\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists have high hopes for lunar caves"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, scientists have suspected the existence of underground caves on the Moon, similar to those on Earth. Conjectures about the presence of pits leading to caves were made based on images taken by NASA’s lunar orbiters, which mapped the lunar surface before the Apollo missions. The presence of such a pit was confirmed in 2009 in images taken by the Kaguya orbiter of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and since then, numerous similar pits have been discovered across the Moon thanks to images and thermal measurements of the surface taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). These lava-formed caves would provide both general shelter and protection from the extreme temperatures and radiation typical of the lunar surface.<\/span><\/p>\n

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An international team of scientists, using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), has discovered evidence of caves beneath the surface of the Moon.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In a reanalysis of radar data collected in 2010 by the Miniature Radio-Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the team discovered evidence of a cave extending more than 200 feet from the bottom of the pit. The pit is located 230 miles northeast of the first human landing site on the Moon, in the Sea of \u200b\u200bTranquillity (Mare Tranquillitatis). The full extent of the cave is unknown, but it may extend for many miles beneath the object.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nThese images, taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), show a cluster of pits discovered on the Moon. Each image covers an area approximately 728 feet wide. NASA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has discovered that lunar pits maintain comfortable temperatures. “Now, analyzing Mini-RF radar data allows us to determine how far these caves may extend,” said Noah Petro, LRO project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lunar pits could serve as shelters for astronauts, revealing details about the formation of “man on the Moon.” Similar to the “lava tubes” discovered here on Earth, scientists theorize that lunar caves formed when molten lava flowed beneath a cooled lava field or when a crust formed over a lava flow, leaving a long, hollow tunnel. If the ceiling of a solidified lava tube collapses, a skylight-like pit would open, potentially leading to the rest of the cavernous tube.<\/span><\/p>\n