Nasa finds perfect place to live on the Moon is the pits
As a species we made some of our first homes in caves and if we ever settle on the Moon we may find ourselves moving back into them.
Scientists say that they have discovered a number of shady, sheltered locations on the lunar surface where temperatures constantly hover around a comfortable 17C. They suggest that these ‘‘pits’’, as well as large caves to which they may lead, would make more convenient sites for base camps than more exposed surface regions, which can swing from nearly 130C during the day to about minus 180C at night.
‘‘Lunar pits are a fascinating feature on the lunar surface,’’ said Noah Petro of Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. ‘‘Knowing that they create a stable thermal environment helps us paint a picture of these unique lunar features and the prospect of one day exploring them.’’
The pits – circular indentations in the surface, some as large as football pitches - were first discovered on the Moon in 2009.
Since then scientists have speculated that some could lead to caves that could be explored or used as shelters.
About 16 of the 200 pits observed so far are probably collapsed lava tubes, said Tyler Horvath, a doctoral student in planetary science at the University of California Los Angeles, who led the research.
Lava tubes, also found on Earth, form when molten lava flows beneath a field of cooled lava or a crust forms over a river of lava, leaving a long, hollow tunnel.
If the ceiling of a solidified lava tube collapses, it opens a pit that can lead into the rest of the cave-like tube.
Two of the most prominent pits have visible overhangs that clearly lead to some sort of cave or void, and there is strong evidence that another’s overhang may also lead to a large cave.
– The Times