The re-analysis of radar data from LRO's Mini-RF (Miniature Radio-Frequency) instrument, collected in 2010, revealed a cave extending over 200 feet from the base of a pit. This pit is situated 230 miles northeast of the historic Apollo landing site in Mare Tranquillitatis. While the full length of the cave remains undetermined, it potentially spans miles under the lunar mare.
For decades, scientists have theorized the existence of subsurface caves on the Moon, akin to those on Earth. Initial images from NASA's lunar orbiters, which mapped the Moon's surface before the Apollo missions, suggested the presence of pits that could lead to caves. This theory was confirmed in 2009 when JAXA's (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Kaguya orbiter captured images of a pit. Since then, numerous pits have been identified on the Moon through LRO's imaging and thermal measurements.
"Now the analysis of the Mini-RF radar data tells us how far these caves might extend," said Noah Petro, LRO project scientist based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Similar to "lava tubes" on Earth, lunar caves likely formed when molten lava flowed beneath a field of cooled lava, or when a crust formed over a lava river, creating a long, hollow tunnel. If the ceiling of a solidified lava tube collapses, it exposes a pit, akin to a skylight, that can lead into the cave-like tube.
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LRO Mini-RF
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