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It has always been thought that the Moon was an extremely inhospitable celestial body for man, mainly due to the absence of atmosphere that, between day and night, causes a temperature range of nearly 300 degrees. A lunar day (or night) lasts about 15 days and reaches, in the equatorial regions, extremely hot temperatures, up to 106 degrees centigrade (or cold, up to about -183 degrees). This difference makes it very difficult – from an energetic point of view – to build a system capable of maintaining the temperature in a range that guarantees the survival of a living being. However, scientists at the University of California UCLA have discovered that inside particular lunar caves scattered on the surface, temperatures would be much more accessible and would remain almost constant between day and night. The Lunar Reconnessaince Orbiter probe measured them and, according to theitem Published on Geophysical research letterscould be places suitable for human survival.
What are the pit craters
These lunar caves were first discovered in 2009 by the Japanese space agency’s Selene probe. Since then and for 11 years, thanks to the Divine thermal detector, Lunar Reconnessaince Orbiter has mapped the surface temperature of the Moon, even within these craters. These are pits of volcanic origin dand all similar to terrestrial lava tubes, which are formed when molten lava flows under a cooled lava surface (or when a crust forms over a lava river), and after its passage leaves a long hollow tunnel. If the ceiling collapses, a pit opens that can connect the outside to the rest of the pipe. On the moon they have been confirmed 16 collapses that could result from networks of lava tubes. Two of these have visible protrusions which, according to the researchers’ analyzes, lead to a sort of cave or void.
The pits of the Sea of Tranquility
Among the pits analyzed, some present in the Sea of Tranquility and in the Sea of Ingenuity have a geometry that makes them effective heat traps, both during the day and in the night. According to the study, temperatures in areas that are permanently shaded fluctuate only slightly during the lunar day, remaining around 17 degrees. Not only that, if a cave extends from the bottom of the pit, it too would be able to maintain the same temperature and thermal excursion. Hence, the shaded regions of these caves would be suitable for building bases, growing food, and hosting oxygen tanks for astronauts. They would also offer one good protection from cosmic rays, solar radiations and micrometeorites, which due to the lack of atmosphere have no shielding and arrive undisturbed on the lunar soil.
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