NASA finds cave on the moon that stays a constant 63 F

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A NASA-funded team of researchers has identified a lunar pit on the moon that’s always a balmy 63 degrees Fahrenheit — suggesting it could be the perfect place for future astronauts to establish a moon base.

Because the moon doesn’t have an atmosphere or magnetic field, astronauts will be exposed to about 200 times as much radiation as people on Earth. The lack of an atmosphere makes meteorite strikes on the moon harder and faster than on Earth, too, so space rocks and impact debris are another threat.

The moon’s day-night cycle is nearly 30 Earth-days long, so astronauts will also need to get used to 15 straight days of darkness and light. They’ll need to deal with the moon’s extreme temperatures, too, which can range from a frigid -280 F at night to a blistering 260 F during the day.

Since 2009, astronomers have discovered 16 pits on the moon’s surface that they believe formed when the roof of a lunar lava tube caved in. Future astronauts could potentially access a tube through a lunar pit and build a moon base within the cave.

This would protect astronauts from space radiation and meteorites, while still offering them direct access to the moon’s surface. And now, new research suggests it would help them avoid the moon’s wild temperature fluctuations, too.

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