Scientists Just Found the Perfect Spot to Build an Underground Colony on the MoonGeorge Dvorsky | Yesterday 4:55pm
https://gizmodo.com/scientists-just-found-the-perfect-spot-to-build-an-unde-1819658831
The Marius Hills Skylight, as observed by the Japanese SELENE/Kaguya research team.
(Image: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University)For years, scientists have wondered if dark, crater-like features on the lunar surface might be entrances to giant caverns carved long ago by flowing lava. Researchers from Japan and the United States have uncovered new evidence to prove that these features actually exist—which is good news for future lunar colonists looking for a convenient and safe place to live.
New research published in
Geophysical Research Letters shows that several pits located near the Marius Hill region of the Moon are large open lava tubes, and that these ancient caverns have the potential to offer, in the words of the researchers, a “pristine environment to conduct scientific examination of the Moon’s composition and potentially serve as secure shelters for humans and instruments.” The team, which included scientists from NASA and Japan’s space agency, JAXA, combined radar and gravity data to make the finding.
No doubt, these caverns would be perfect for aspiring lunar colonists. Inside these large holes, humans would be protected from the Sun’s dangerous rays, and other hazards. The Moon has no atmosphere to speak of, so these “instant” shelters would be extremely advantageous.
Our future home? A view of the eastern Marius Hills, with the Marius crater at top right.
(Image: NASA/Lunar Orbiter 2)[...]
