14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists operating a NASA spacecraft in lunar orbit announced that they managed to snap new pictures of what appears to be an opening in an ancient lava tube on the surface of the natural satellite.
The opening reveals a pitch-black pit underneath, that may run a good distance underneath the lunar surface. The new images the science team snapped show the bottom of the pit, as well as small portions of its interior. This type of observations has never been conducted before.
Experts say that this cavernous pit is located in the Marius Hills region, and add that the only reason why they were able to snap these views is because the camera angle and the Sun angle were aligned just right to illuminate the structure and its insides.
Making good use of these conditions, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) used the LROC instrument to peer inside the cavern. Subsequent measurements conducted on the opening leading into the cave suggest that it is more than 65 meters wide.
Additionally, it was also demonstrated that the “skylight” connects the lunar surface to the hollow interior of a lava tube, a structure that once carried molten rock, but which is now out of use.
One of the reasons why experts are so thrilled about the new finding is that such lava tubes are in fact excellent locations for prospective lunar bases that could be set there on a permanent basis.
Because the Moon has a very rarefied atmosphere, it does not offer protection against cosmic rays, meteorite impacts and low temperatures such as our planet's atmosphere does. Universe Today reports.
The LRO team says that this is the fourth time they were able to image the open pit. The spacecraft reaches the same point above Earth's natural satellite once every month or so, and scientists leap at the opportunity to image the same structures as before, but in different lighting conditions.
LRO investigators will present their images at the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, which will be held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, in Texas. The event will take place between March 7-11, 2011.
One of the things that makes the new images stand out from the rest is the fact that the orbiter was able to use its Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) instrument to image the bedrock in the pit walls. It was determined that these walls have a layered structure, which is a very interesting finding.