06.012 Cave of gigantic dimensions discovered on the moon

Gigantic moon cavern could provide protection for future colonial settlers 20.10.2017
derstandard.at Cave of gigantic dimensions discovered on the moon

20. October 2017, 06:00

Astronomers registered a 50 kilometre long and 100 metre wide cave system with the help of the Japanese probe Selene

With radar measures the Japanese moon probe Selene discovered a possible place of refuge for future moon colonial settlers.

It is now 45 years ago that for the last time a man has stepped on the surface of the moon. But since then the earth satellite emerges again more often in the future plans of some space travelling nations – among others as intermediate station on the way to Mars or as possible lucrative source of raw materials.

On that occasion it is though essential to overcome some obstacles: Particularly the cosmic radiation, solar particle bombardments and the strong temperature variations probably cause trouble for potential moon colonial settlers. With the help of the Japanese moon probe Selene Japanese scientists have now discovered a cave under the surface of the moon, which could provide protection to astronauts against these adversities of the cosmos.

Das sogenannte Marius Hills Skylight ist eine Lavahöhle von gewaltigen Ausmaßen.

The so-called Marius Hills Skylight is a lava cave of gigantic dimensions.

With the 50 kilometres long and 100 metres wide cavity system it is probably about a 3.5 billion years old former lava tunnel according to the opinion of astronomers, the Japanese space agency Jaxa announced. That such underground tunnels exist on the moon, was already clear for a long time to researchers. But now the scientist succeeded to register their dimensions with radar data, as Jaxa researcher Junichi Haruyama explained.

The gigantic cavity in the so-called Marius Hills Group would provide enough space for an extensive moon station to protect the astronauts against serious temperature variations and the dangerous radiation on the moon surface. The details of their measurements were published this week in the specialist journal "Geophysical Research Letters".

Theoretically whole cities could find space in lave caves of the moon.

Only in June Japan announced its ambitious project wanting to send an astronaut on the moon by 2030. Thus a Japanese astronaut would for the first time be used outside the international space station.

2025 first Japanese space travellers are to support a mission of the US space agency Nasa for the erection of a space station in the orbit of the moon. The mission serves as interim step for a long time mission of Nasa, which works flat out to send an astronaut to Mars as from the 2030s.

The USA also announced to again send astronauts to the moon. "We will again send American astronauts to the moon, not only, to leave foot prints and flags behind, but to erect a basis, which we need to send Americans to Mars and further", explained US Vice President Mike Pence this month.

Geophysical Research Letters: "Detection of intact lava tubes at Marius Hills on the Moon by SELENE (Kaguya) Lunar Radar Sounder."

Jaxa: Detection of intact lunar lava tubes in the data from SELENE (Kaguya) radar sounding

Previous webpage: 06.011 Next webpage: 06.013

Start: To the start of this webpage.

[Home]>[Miscellaneous]>[7. The Solar System]>[06. Moon]>[06.012 Cave of gigantic dimensions discovered on the moon]

[Home] [How to Measure Your Beliefs] [The Man-Made Church] [Miscellaneous]

The address of this webpage is:
http://www.fpreuss.com/en3/en02/en0206/en0206012.htm