Scientists have made an exciting discovery: they think they've found the first cave on the moon! This cave is located at the bottom of a huge pit, about 200 feet deep, in the Sea of Tranquility, or Mare Tranquillitatis. The pit is about 230 miles from where Apollo 11 landed in 1969, the first time humans set foot on the moon.
The cave was first spotted by lunar satellites in 2009, but it wasn’t until recently that scientists realized it could actually be a cave. They analyzed old images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, taken in 2010, and noticed some dark, shaded areas inside the pit. These shaded spots could be entrances to a cave system reports USA Today.
Why is this lunar cave so important? Well, if confirmed, it could be a perfect shelter for future astronauts. The moon's surface is incredibly harsh. Temperatures there can soar to 260°F during the day and plummet to -280°F at night. In some dark, shadowed areas, temperatures can drop even further, reaching -410°...