Images taken by LRO's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera suggest that a cave extends from the bottom of the pit. The temperatures remain at around 17 degrees Celsius. Important Findings Of The StudyĪccording to the study, the temperatures within the permanently shadowed reaches of the pit fluctuate only slightly throughout the lunar day. The temperatures vary minimally around a comfortable 17 degrees Celsius, wherever the Sun does not shine directly. The thermal environment of the pit located in Mare Tranquillitatis is more hospitable compared to anywhere else on the Moon, the study said. This helped them chart the pit's temperatures over time. After this, the researchers used computer modelling to analyse the thermal properties of the rock and lunar dust. The team focused on a roughly cylindrical 100-metre-deep depression about the length and width of a football field in an area of the Moon known as the Mare Tranquillitatis. This is an instrument aboard the LRO, which has been continuously measuring the temperature of the lunar surface for over 11 years. In order to find out whether the temperature within the pits diverged from those on the surface, Horvath processed data from a thermal camera called Diviner. The study found that two of the most prominent pits on the Moon have visible overhangs that lead to caves or voids.ĭavid Paige, a co-author on the paper, said humans evolved living in caves, and to caves humans might return when they live on the Moon. This pit leads into the rest of the cave-like tube. When the ceiling of a solidified lava tube collapses, a pit is opened. When molten lava flows beneath a field of cooled lava or a crust forms over a river of lava, lava tubes are formed. LRO Project Scientist Noah Petro of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said lunar pits are a fascinating feature on the lunar surface, and create a stable thermal environment. In a statement released by NASA, Tyler Horvath, who led the research, said about 16 of the more than 200 pits are probably collapsed lava tubes. If these pits are used as shelters, they may offer protection from solar radiation, cosmic rays, and micrometeorites. Scientists have always wondered if these pits led to caves that could be explored or serve as shelters. Why These Pits Will Serve As Ideal Shelters For Lunar Exploration

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) SELENE spacecraft had discovered pits on the Moon. In 2009, pits were discovered for the first time on the Moon. The depth of the Marius Pit is about 34 metres. The image at the centre was taken when the Sun was high above, giving scientists an awesome view of the Marius Hills pit floor. Each time, the camera imaged the pit with very different lighting.

NASA's LRO Camera has imaged the Marius Hills pit three times.

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