Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers
Cape Canaveral, Jul 15: Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts.
An Italian-led team reported Monday that there's evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It's located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11's landing site.
The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.
Researchers analyzed radar measurements by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.
The radar data reveals only the initial part of the underground cavity, according to the scientists. They estimate it's at least 130 feet (40 metres) wide and tens of yards (metres) long, probably more.
“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence" of one, Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento, wrote in an email.
Most of the pits seem to be located in the moon's ancient lava plains, according to the scientists. There also could be some at the moon's south pole, the planned location of NASA's astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters there are believed to hold frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.
During NASA's Apollo program, 12 astronauts landed on the moon, beginning with Armstrong and Aldrin on July 20, 1969.
The findings suggest there could be hundreds of pits on the moon and thousands of lava tubes. Such places could serve as a natural shelter for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays and solar radiation as well as from micro-meteorite strikes.
Building habitats from scratch would be more time-consuming and challenging, even when factoring in the potential need of reinforcing the cave walls to prevent a collapse, the team said.
Rocks and other material inside these caves — unaltered by the harsh surface conditions over the eons — also can help scientists better understand how the moon evolved, especially involving its volcanic activity.
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Gambhir flies back home for "personal emergency", to rejoin in Adelaide
Perth (PTI): India head coach Gautam Gambhir has flown back to India with his family due to "personal emergency" and is unlikely to be present during the the two-day pink ball warm-up game in Canberra starting November 30.
Gambhir, however, is slated to directly link up with the squad in Adelaide before the 'Pink Ball Test' starting December 6.
It is understood that Gambhir has sought permission from BCCI brass with regards to his return.
"He left with his family on early Tuesday morning for India. It is an unavoidable personal emergency. He will be back in Adelaide before the start of the second Test match," a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The Indian team will leave for Canberra on Wednesday, November 27 where the entire team is expected to attend an official reception thrown in their honour by the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The two-day Pink ball match will give the Indian team a chance to get some game time under its belt.
PMXI is a squad full of youngsters but India will get some good match practice with pacer Scott Boland expected to play the game.
The rules of the game will be decided by the two teams and it is expected that everyone will bat and ball as it won't have an official status.
