Why Scientists Are Obsessed with This Spot on the Moon

Bright Side

Scientists can't stop talking about a tiny, mysterious spot on the Moon—and for good reason! This special area, near the Moon’s south pole, is believed to hold frozen water, which could be a game-changer for future space missions. If astronauts can use this water, they wouldn’t have to haul it from Earth, making Moon bases way more realistic. But that’s not all—this region also gets just the right amount of sunlight, perfect for setting up solar panels to power a lunar outpost. Plus, the deep, shadowy craters nearby could hold secrets about the early solar system, since they’ve been untouched for billions of years. That’s why NASA and other space agencies are racing to explore this lunar hotspot—it might just be the key to living and working on the Moon for good!  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00August 23, 2023. A day when India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft made history by becoming the first

00:09to touch down on the lunar South Pole, a place we can't normally see from Earth.

00:15What makes this lunar hideaway so fascinating to scientists? Well, it turns out it's hiding

00:21something precious. Lunar ice. This place is believed to be more abundant with this

00:27ice than what we found up north. And it's not hard to see why scientists are so buzzed

00:32up about it. It's a frozen water source, and it could become our key to building a

00:37permanent lunar home, or even fueling missions all the way to Mars.

00:44Scientists knew about this ice for over two decades, since the NASA spacecraft accidentally

00:48stumbled upon it during one of the missions. Then, in 2018, NASA triumphantly declared

00:54that they're 100% sure about it. They said that the South Pole of the Moon is abundant

00:59with water. Now, picture this. Future lunar settlers could tap into this water supply.

01:07It could help us sustain life in the barren lunar landscape. Plus, by cleverly splitting

01:13the water into oxygen and hydrogen, we could receive both air and rocket fuel. All this

01:19will make Moon missions more feasible and self-sustaining.

01:24It's also a great glimpse into the past. This ice, maybe as old as the Moon itself,

01:30could unlock the Moon's and Earth's deep mysteries.

01:35But it turns out that water isn't rare in space at all. There might be lots of planets

01:40out there where life could thrive. We know this because we started finding water vapor

01:44around stars. And this water is remarkably similar to the water in our own solar system.

01:52This discovery suggests that the water on Earth originally came from space. Water forms

01:58around stars in the cloud of extremely hot vapor. Then, it turns into ice and sticks

02:03to tiny dust particles. These particles stick together over time and become bigger objects

02:09like comets, planets, and other things. Some of these become comets and planets in our

02:14own solar system. And this is how water is being spread across the Universe. And it may

02:19be how it got to our planet and the Moon too. Scientists think that the lunar ice might

02:25have journeyed here eons ago. Maybe it hitched a ride on water-rich asteroids that smacked

02:30into the Moon's surface.

02:34All this has big implications for us. The Southern Pole is an ideal canvas for humanity

02:39to establish a real Moon base. Imagine brick domes connected by secret underground tunnels.

02:46They'll be bustling with people busily operating computers. Some others will be cruising the

02:53lunar landscape in their Jeeps or on their way to mine precious resources. We have some

02:59pretty cool ideas on how to build this. First, you probably imagine hauling hefty and

03:04water-draining shelters all the way from Earth. But maybe there's a more effective way.

03:10Think about our history as a civilization. Every time we ventured to a new place, we

03:15surveyed the surroundings for available resources and used them to survive and thrive. This

03:20is how we spread across our own planet. So why shouldn't we spread across the Moon the

03:25same way? Now, you might wonder what resources the Moon might offer. We know about the ice,

03:32and it can be turned into water. But we can clearly see that our planet lacks lush greenery

03:37and edible food.

03:39Well, it might not be obvious, but the Moon does have something to offer – mineral resources

03:46and sunlight. Unlike Earth, where the Sun rises and sets, the lunar poles offer quite

03:52a beautiful sight. The Sun gracefully orbits the horizon the entire day. Which means it

03:59can provide an almost uninterrupted source of power.

04:04Imagine living in a world bathed in perpetual sunlight. I'm sure the solar panels will

04:08love it. Me? Not so much. Still, we could use not only the Sun's light, but also its

04:15heat. Honestly, we should just use everything. If we're left with spare metal while producing

04:20oxygen, find a purpose for that metal too. We need to treat the environment responsibly

04:26Not only on Earth, but on the Moon as well. Which is why scientists are learning how to

04:31turn the Moon's most abundant resources, regolith, into sturdy bricks.

04:36They've been quite inventive in figuring out how to create Moon bricks. Scientists

04:41want to use the Sun's heat to melt lunar dust, layer by layer, essentially creating

04:46a 3D printer for Moon dust. Engineers have also cooked up bricks using solar ovens and

04:54zap lunar soil with microwaves. They've become quite adept at it.

04:59So yeah, perhaps we're going to establish a little brick factory on the Moon and build

05:05regolith houses. It's like Minecraft in real life. As soon as you find some cool new

05:11material, you gotta build a tiny house with it.

05:15If successful, these bricks could be used to construct entire buildings, potentially

05:20covering inflatable modules or giving new life to abandoned landers.

05:25So will astronauts need to become skilled bricklayers? Well, they won't do everything

05:30themselves. We'd have to create a small automated system, involving robots working

05:35collaboratively. Humans will, of course, oversee the construction site.

05:41Despite all this automation, scientists believe that living on the Moon is going to be, well,

05:46call it cozy. The designs may involve stacked living quarters or multipurpose areas.

05:53However, there would be some challenges too. On the Moon, things get extreme. Imagine scorching

06:00temperatures that can go up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and at night, they

06:06plunge down to a chilly minus 290 degrees. And it's not just the weather. The Moon

06:12gets relentlessly exposed to solar radiation, cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. All

06:19these things gradually wear down anything on its surface.

06:24Another big challenge is the lunar dust. On the Moon, there's no air to breathe, and

06:28the dust there can cause problems. And this one isn't only regular dust. It's super

06:34clingy and can even make astronauts sneeze and have watery eyes, as if they're having

06:39a lunar hay fever. It can also damage equipment and spacesuits. It's not something you want

06:46to mess with. Scientists have found that the dust is made

06:51when meteors hit the Moon, creating tiny particles and sharp glass shards. It's toxic, and

06:57its tiny particles can float around in low lunar gravity, making it hard to breathe.

07:03Unlike on Earth, the Moon doesn't have wind or rain to clean it away. So now they're

07:09studying it to find out how to prevent this annoying problem from ruining their entire

07:13mission. There's more to this lunar haven than meets

07:17the eye. Scientists also want to delve into the mysteries of low-frequency electromagnetic

07:23waves there. These waves are whispers from the far reaches of the Universe. These elusive

07:29signals have remained hidden from us for ages. We only caught some cacophony of radio and

07:35other background noise, but that's it. On the Moon's dark side, however, we can

07:41finally record and study them. Studying these waves will help scientists to unlock the secrets

07:47of the Universe's origins. It's not just about the Earth or the Moon. We're talking

07:52about peering back to the very beginnings of our world. Our new lunar lab might help

07:58us to forever reshape our understanding of the cosmos.

08:04So NASA has some big plans on the Moon now. Their Artemis mission completed a successful

08:10return to Earth in December 2022 after nearly a month in space. It ventured far beyond the

08:17Moon. This mission proved the capabilities of some of our recent technological developments

08:23that will help us explore Mars. The goal of Artemis is to establish a lasting

08:28presence on the Moon. They want to create a gateway, like a space station in orbit around

08:34the satellite, to help with the landings. Artemis 2 is set to carry astronauts to lunar

08:39orbit in 2024, and during Artemis 3, which should take place in the mid-2020s, two astronauts

08:47will touch down near the Moon's south pole. It's quite possible that the lunar base

08:52will be built within the next couple of decades. So stay tuned.

09:05About a century ago, people envisioned the 21st century as a time filled with quirky

09:11inventions. They weren't far off the mark. We're now one step closer to establishing

09:16an actual settlement on the Moon. Before we can create a new home up, we need to find

09:22a way to stay connected, beyond just transportation and shipping. Being able to send a simple

09:29text, even something as casual as, hey, how are you, is essential. We can't move to

09:34the Moon if we're cut off from Earth. Let me spill some tea. A lunar 4G network

09:40is currently being developed. The company leading this initiative is none other than

09:45Nokia's Bell Labs. The company, bought by the world-famous Finnish company that started

09:50out as a paper mill in the 19th century and later ventured into the cell phone industry,

09:56creating iconic devices long before Apple launched its first phone. Once the network

10:02is completed, it will be loaded onto a lander, deployed and connected using specialized radio

10:08equipment. But don't think this is just a fun experiment. It has significant purposes.

10:14The Lunar Outpost rover, one of the vehicles involved in this mission, will thoroughly

10:18explore an area known as the Shackleton Connecting Ridge. Another rover, the Micronova, will

10:26investigate a lunar crater in search of ice. When they discover ice and capture images,

10:32this information will be first transmitted to the lander, and then relayed to Earth,

10:38an unprecedented achievement in history. Moreover, the importance of a reliable phone connection

10:47cannot be overstated. Currently, astronauts communicate via radio, but NASA aims to establish

10:54a lunar communication system capable of supporting high-resolution video. Effective communication

11:01during space missions is as crucial as food and water, and with this new lunar 4G technology,

11:07video calls on the Moon could soon become a reality. Plus, thanks to lunar 4G, we'll

11:14be able to track how the endangered species sent to the Moon are doing. Oh sorry, I completely

11:21forgot to mention something important. As more species edge closer to extinction today,

11:28scientists are collecting samples from animals, plants and other organisms to store in biorepositories

11:34around the globe. Unfortunately, the conditions on Earth are far from ideal for these modern

11:40day Noah's Arks. Hence, the decision to build one or two vaults on the Moon makes

11:46perfect sense. On the Moon, there is a permanently shadowed region at its south pole. It may

11:53seem like a fortunate coincidence, but some lunar craters may meet the criterion of temperature

11:58– negative 320 degrees Fahrenheit, which is precisely what we need for long-term self-storage.

12:06Initially, the plan was to construct the vault in lava tubes that run beneath the Moon's

12:11surface, but that would have posed significant risks. This design requires a special solar-powered

12:17cooling system, and any accidental loss of power could be catastrophic, resulting in

12:23the destruction of all the samples. However, if we built it in a forever frozen shadowed

12:29area, the vault wouldn't need any energy or human maintenance. Bingo! It sounds almost

12:36too good to be true, and indeed there are several complications. For instance, dust

12:41is an omnipresent issue on the Moon, infiltrating everything. If the storage requires seals,

12:48a dust mitigation system must be developed, which has not yet been created. So for now,

12:54it remains a theoretical concept rather than a practical solution.

12:5940, 50 feet, why don't you turn around and let them get a view from there and…

13:05I know you want to learn about real things, not just concepts. Here's something real

13:09for you. The Moon is full of… human waste, carefully packed into bags. According to estimates,

13:17there are around 96 of these bags you'd probably prefer to never open, but you never

13:22know what exactly is hidden inside. It could be any product of the human body out there.

13:27So, if we ever make it to the Moon and you accidentally stumble upon a mysterious bag,

13:33my advice is to resist the urge to open it. Instead, you can hand it over to scientists.

13:38They say they're eager to get their hands on them.

13:42Humans are incredible, in a rather unfortunate way. We haven't even established a proper

13:48settlement on the Moon yet, but there's already around 200 tons of junk scattered

13:54about. It piles up there as if it were a teenager's room rather than a celestial

13:59body. Alongside those rather unappealing human waste bags, you'll also find cameras, drills,

14:06towels, brushes, rakes, a multitude of other technical items, and surprisingly, a falcon's

14:12feather. I'll explain that in a moment.

14:16At the end of Apollo 15's final moonwalk, David Scott pulled out a falcon's feather

14:21and a hammer to demonstrate Galileo's theory that in the absence of air resistance, different

14:27objects fall at the same rate. Amidst all that junk, there's an actual piece of art,

14:33so we could say that the Moon, if it doesn't have the very first art museum, at least boasts

14:38a small exhibition.

14:40The crew of Apollo 15 took a 3.5-inch tall aluminum figure to the Moon. Created by a

14:46Belgian artist, it's called the Fallen Astronaut, and it was laid on its side with a plaque

14:52listing the names of astronauts and cosmonauts who contributed to exploration.

14:57But the list of odd objects on the Moon doesn't end there. If you ever find yourself in need

15:02of cash, you can find it on the Moon, since a stack of $2 bills was simply forgotten there.

15:08Yep, a lot of material has been collected since 1969, when humans first stepped on the

15:14Moon.

15:21Our natural satellite was first seen in a telescope in 1609, but what about its true

15:26age? To understand that, we need to start with how the Moon first formed.

15:32Back in the mid-80s, a conference in Hawaii brought together a bunch of scientists to

15:37figure out where the Moon came from. They came up with a pretty cool idea. The Moon

15:43probably formed with the stuff that our planet Earth donated. Picture this. A Mars-sized

15:49object crashed into the early Earth, flinging molten materials into space, which eventually

15:55came together to become the Moon we see today. This theory clears up a lot of mysteries.

16:01For instance, it used to baffle folks why the Moon has such a small iron core. The answer

16:07is simple. It formed from Earth's outer layer, which isn't rich in iron. And that

16:13pale crust of the Moon? It's just minerals that floated to the top when the molten Moon

16:18cooled down. At first, the Moon was super close to Earth, but it's been slowly drifting

16:24away at about 2 inches a year, even while you're watching this video.

16:29Figuring out when this all went down, though, is a bit tricky. The Apollo astronauts brought

16:34back a bunch of Moon rocks, which helped scientists estimate their ages. The oldest

16:39ones are around 4.35 billion years old, which is about 200 million years after the solar

16:46system kicked off. So, here's the thing. There's no exact date for when the Moon formed,

16:54but there are several interesting theories. One idea is that the age of these rocks could

16:59mean the Moon is around 4.35 billion years old. But some scientists who look at how planets

17:06form, think that most of the material in the early solar system came together way before

17:11that 200 million year mark. They argue that a big impact that created the Moon happening

17:17that late seems pretty unlikely, which means the Moon could actually be older than 3.5

17:23billion years. Another interesting thought is that the Moon

17:27might have gone through some serious heating events as it moved away from Earth. This is

17:32similar to what happens on Io, one of Jupiter's supervolcanic moons. The gravitational pull

17:38from a bigger body can stretch and compress a smaller one, generating heat, like when

17:43you squeeze a rubber ball. The rocks on both Io and the Moon warm up this way. Rocks have

17:50radioactive elements that act like internal clocks, helping scientists figure out their

17:55ages. The catch is, if the Moon heats up too much, it resets those clocks and only

18:00starts keeping time again once it cools down. So those rocks that are about 4.35 billion

18:06years old might not actually mark the Moon's birthday. They could just indicate a time

18:12of tidal heating. This suggests, once again, that the Moon had to have formed even earlier

18:18than that.

18:21Time can stretch or shrink depending on where you are. Climb to the top of an extremely

18:26high mountain, and time will pass a teeny tiny bit faster than if you were down in a

18:31valley. That's all because of gravity and how it affects time. We hardly notice it in

18:37our everyday life, but for scientists and space agencies preparing to send people to

18:42the Moon, these minuscule differences in time really do matter. We'll get to answer the

18:47why question a bit later.

18:53Right now, a new space race is underway. Many countries want to establish long-term bases

18:59on the Moon. With humans up there, things like reliable timekeeping become crucial.

19:04The thing is, the Moon doesn't operate on Earth's time. A day on the Moon runs slightly

19:10faster than a day on Earth. The difference is about 56 microseconds, and it seems insignificant.

19:17But over time, even such a difference can add up, creating bigger issues. So, to keep

19:22lunar missions running smoothly and prevent things from drifting out of sync, NASA and

19:28scientists around the world are now dealing with a tricky challenge – creating an entirely

19:33new lunar timescale.

19:36NASA is supposed to start using it by 2026. It's the same year they hope to send astronauts

19:42back to the Moon for the first time in 50 years. But this new timescale is not just

19:47a Moon time zone. It's actually an entire system that will adjust for the Moon's faster

19:52time and keep everything synchronized with Earth's time systems. Only in this case

19:57will missions be able to run smoothly.

19:59You see, on Earth, our timekeeping is already surprisingly complicated. It might seem like

20:05time should be a straightforward concept, but keeping accurate time is actually a precise

20:10science, especially when you consider how much timekeeping affects our daily lives.

20:16So to keep global time coordinated, scientists rely on something called Coordinated Universal

20:21Time, also known as UTC. This global time standard is based on ultra-precise atomic

20:27clocks that scientists place in separate locations all over the world. Atomic clocks are cool

20:33because they measure time based on the consistent vibrations of atoms, so they're super stable

20:39and accurate. This helps scientists make sure UTC is the same for everyone, everywhere.

20:46These atomic clocks also take into account that time moves slightly more slowly the closer

20:51you are to the center of our planet. So, atomic clocks positioned closer to the Earth's

20:56surface tick a bit more slowly due to stronger gravitational pull. This effect, explained

21:02by Einstein's theory of relativity, happens because gravity affects time. By spreading

21:08atomic clocks across different elevations, scientists average out all the tiny time differences

21:13caused by gravity. Also, for precise timekeeping, scientists occasionally add leap seconds to

21:19account for the small natural changes in Earth's rotation speed. It sounds pretty technical,

21:25but this process of keeping everyone on the same time helps make the modern world function.

21:31After all, precise timing is crucial for global trading, GPS navigation, and even Internet

21:37communications. But time on the Moon works differently. Our natural satellite has a weaker

21:43gravitational field than Earth. That's why clocks on the Moon tick a bit faster. This

21:48difference means that lunar clocks are very likely to slowly drift away from Earth clocks

21:53if there's no correction. It can lead to big problems when astronauts need to keep

21:58in close contact with Earth or navigate around the lunar surface.

22:02NASA's solution is something called a lunar time scale. Scientists aren't going to adjust

22:07Moon clocks to match Earth exactly. Instead, they want to establish a unique system that

22:13measures lunar time accurately, but is also easy to convert back to Earth time. Think

22:18of it as creating a whole new framework just for the Moon.

22:22To make this lunar time system work, NASA is cooperating with international colleagues

22:27like the European Space Agency. Together, they're setting up what they call LunaNet.

22:33This lunar network will be a bit like the Internet for the Moon. It'll make sure all

22:37the lunar clocks work together and align with Earth-based time. Just like how atomic clocks

22:43around the world coordinate for UTC on Earth, clocks on the Moon will be part of this larger

22:48LunaNet network. Scientists are pretty experienced when it

22:52comes to managing time and space. Global Positioning System satellites, which orbit

22:57Earth about 12,550 miles high, have atomic clocks on board. These clocks tick faster

23:04than clocks on the Earth's surface because they're quite far away from Earth's gravitational

23:08pull. But then, how does GPS navigation stay accurate? It's because scientists have figured

23:15out ways to slow those clocks down to match Earth's time.

23:19This experience with GPS clocks is a great base for what scientists need to do on the

23:24Moon. In some ways, it might be even easier than managing GPS. Scientists can work with

23:30lunar clocks as they naturally are, instead of needing to adjust them to sync perfectly

23:35with Earth. By setting up accurate lunar time from the start, scientists hope to avoid some

23:41of the complications of managing GPS satellites. And now, here's the interesting part. Or

23:47maybe more interesting. To keep lunar timekeeping a reality, NASA and its partners want to set

23:53up clocks both on the lunar surface and on satellites orbiting the Moon. Some of these

23:58clocks will be long-lasting atomic clocks, and others will be crystal oscillators. Those

24:03offer stability over short time periods. Together, these clocks will create a network that scientists

24:09will be able to rely on. Meanwhile, atomic clocks for space don't

24:14come cheap. They can cost a staggering few million dollars each. Luckily, crystal oscillators

24:21are more affordable, but they don't stay accurate over long periods. Once those clocks

24:26are set up, they'll work together as part of LunaNet, which will be NASA's framework

24:30for everything related to Moon-based time and data networks. LunaNet will act like an

24:36Internet for lunar operations. Different space agencies will contribute to it, like how Internet

24:41service providers work for us on Earth. But there's another set of challenges, and

24:47it's connected with the Moon's rotation. Firstly, a day on the Moon lasts much longer

24:52than a day on our planet because it takes the Moon about 28 Earth days to make a full

24:57rotation. Plus, the Moon's equator experiences about 14 days of sunlight followed by 14 days

25:03of darkness, unlike Earth's regular day-night cycle. And at the Moon's south pole, where

25:09NASA is going to establish future lunar missions, there are areas that stay lit or in shadow

25:15permanently. It might make it harder for astronauts to keep track of time.

25:20NASA and its partners hope to involve more countries in this project through international

25:25organizations like the International Astronomical Union. The idea is to get as many countries

25:31as possible on board with the lunar timescale, so that everyone exploring the Moon is on

25:36the same page. Now, another really exciting thing about all

25:40this is that figuring out lunar time could help other future space missions, like trips

25:45to Mars. The experience and knowledge we'll get from setting up a lunar timescale are

25:50likely to serve as a blueprint for managing time on even farther planets. That's one

25:55of the reasons why scientists are taking this lunar project so seriously. As for astronauts

26:00living on the Moon, a consistent, reliable time system will be essential. Not just for

26:05navigation, but for everything from scientific experiments to day-to-day activities.

26:12NASA's lunar time project is truly groundbreaking. It's the first step toward managing time

26:17as humans expand farther into space. And if they get it right, it'll mean that future

26:22astronauts won't just have Earth time to guide them. They'll also have a Moon time,

26:27and even, one day, a Mars time, too. Precise timekeeping matters both for the sake of

26:33scientifically understanding the passage of time on the Moon, and for setting up all the

26:38infrastructure necessary to carry out missions. Scientists are also eager to create a timescale

26:43from scratch, because they can take everything they've learned about timekeeping on Earth

26:48and apply it to a new system on the Moon. Well, I'm out of time, so bye!

26:56There's something happening inside the Moon, something that nobody expected. Not a dramatic

27:01shift you'd see on the outside, but deep down, where things seem frozen in time, scientists

27:07have uncovered a hidden layer of what you could only call Moon goo. Remember those school

27:13lessons about the crust, mantle, and core? Much like the Earth, the Moon is made up of

27:18layers, a crust, mantle, and core. However, the Moon's core is much smaller compared to

27:24Mars. Earth's core is huge, it makes up about a third of our entire planet's mass.

27:30The Moon's core makes up only about 1-2% of its mass, and its diameter is about one-fifth

27:37the diameter of the Moon itself. It's surrounded by a hard, rocky mantle. But it turns out

27:43that between these two layers, that mysterious goo layer, and it's way more important than

27:48you might think. The layer is soft and partially molten, ebbing and flowing like the tides

27:54in our oceans. It rises and falls, stretching and shifting as if it were alive. Its movement

28:01isn't chaotic, but subtle and regular. We always knew that the Moon influences our seas

28:07and oceans, causing tides with its gravity. But it turns out that we influence it back.

28:13The goo ocean reacts to the gravitational dance between Earth and the Sun. Also, the

28:19molten layer could be made of ilmenite, a very intriguing material. Ilmenite is rich

28:25in titanium, a strong and lightweight metal that we really love over here on Earth. Titanium

28:30is used in everything from airplane parts and spacecraft to medical devices. Even in

28:36everyday items like bikes and laptops. All because it's incredibly strong and very

28:41resistant to corrosion and heat. So, if the Moon might have a molten layer rich in ilmenite,

28:48that would be awesome. Astronomers are already planning for lunar bases. And if we had a

28:52material to build structures, spacecraft, or even tools for astronauts right there,

28:58that would be a game-changer. Otherwise, we'd need to transport materials from Earth, which

29:03is extremely costly. This is our first tangible sign that the Moon is not just a cold, boring

29:10rock. Instead, it's dynamic, living, and breathing, with moving forces beneath the

29:15surface. NASA used new special tools to discover this. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory

29:23and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. These are both space missions designed to study the Moon,

29:28but they don't just look at the surface like a telescope. Instead, they help measure things

29:34we can't see with our eyes, like the Moon's gravity and how it changes over time. GRAIL

29:40sent two small spacecraft around the Moon, named Ebb and Flow. Clever. The idea was for

29:46these spacecraft to fly close to each other and measure tiny differences in the Moon's gravity

29:52as they go. It's like they were feeling the Moon's invisible pull in different places.

29:57If the Moon's gravity was stronger in one spot, the spacecraft moved closer together, and if it

30:02was weaker, they moved farther apart. This helps scientists understand what's going on inside the

30:08Moon, even if they can't actually go there. And the spacecraft intentionally crashed into the Moon

30:14in December 2012 to end the mission. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is a bit different. It

30:20takes super-detailed pictures of the Moon and collects other important information about its

30:25surface. By combining the information from both GRAIL and LRO, we were able to find this goo layer.

30:32But this discovery actually challenges everything we thought we knew about lunar geology.

30:38How did this molten layer get there? How long has it existed? And, perhaps more fascinating,

30:43how it stayed warm for millions of years? And some million-dollar questions.

30:49The Moon's core generates heat, just like ours. But it's not as easy as saying,

30:53oh, the core's heat probably keeps it warm and molten. Well, first, the Moon's core is much

30:59smaller and less active than Earth's. Meaning, it produces significantly less heat. Plus, the Moon

31:05is much cooler than Earth in general. With temperature dropping to minus 200°F on the

31:10surface, how could this inner layer still stay in this flowing state? That's still a mystery.

31:16In any case, this goo could actually explain a lot of stuff about the Moon. For example,

31:22astronomers were exploring Moon quakes and how they happened. Now they think that it might be

31:27this semi-molten layer shifting and moving beneath the surface. Now, beyond the Moon itself, it also

31:33tells us more about other celestial bodies. If the Moon, something we consider basically a huge

31:39static rock, has such a dramatic life, what about other planets, moons, or asteroids? Could they also

31:46hide similar hidden movements beneath their surfaces? We can even understand our own planet

31:52better, learn more about how tides and similar stuff works. There are so many great discoveries

31:58we've been making on the Moon. Recently, we found some awesome stuff beneath the surface.

32:03Massive caves hidden for millions of years. For over 50 years, scientists have suspected

32:09that the Moon's surface is full of underground tunnels and caves. These are known as lava tubes

32:15because they were formed by lava. Duh! Millions of years ago, the Moon was pretty unstable.

32:21It underwent some volcanic activity, causing eruptions. When a volcano erupts,

32:26lava can flow across the surface. As the outer layer of the lava cools and hardens,

32:32it forms a solid roof of dark material. It's actually what these famous dark spots on the Moon

32:38are. These are dark, hardened remains of ancient lava. But the hot molten lava continues to flow

32:44through the center. Once the eruption ends and the lava drains away, what's left behind is an

32:50empty hollow tunnel. Hence, a lava tube. On Earth, we have lava tubes in places like

32:56Hawaii or Iceland, where volcanic activity has created similar underground tunnels.

33:02The same thing happened on the Moon billions of years ago. Although they're much crazier compared

33:07to ours. In fact, lunar lava tubes are now thought to be some of the largest and longest

33:12in the entire Solar System. One such cave was discovered beneath the famous Mare Tranquillatus,

33:18the place where Apollo 11 first landed. And it's at least 340 feet deep. Now, all these lava systems

33:25have remained hidden just beneath the surface, untouched for millions of years. Only now,

33:31they've finally managed to prove their existence. Scientists from the University of Trento in Italy

33:37found them using special radar technology and advanced computer methods. These techniques let

33:42you see underground by sending radar waves. The waves bounce back and give clues about what's

33:48hidden underneath. By analyzing the way these waves reflected back, the researchers could detect the

33:55shape and size of the hidden caves. Now, the best thing about this discovery is that we could build

34:01all our bases there. These caves protect from radiation, harsh winds, and meteoroids. NASA

34:07even found evidence that some of these caves stay at a steady 63 degrees Fahrenheit. That's some crazy

34:14coziness for the Moon. And on top of that, there could even be some water there. So, humans could

34:20take shelter inside these natural tunnels and build entire colonies on the Moon. And I know what

34:26you're thinking. Could unexpected lunar monsters hide deep in those caves? Well, sure. There's a

34:33huge potential for exploring these caves and finding some awesome stuff. But even if we

34:38manage to find a miracle, like small life or microbial organisms, there's a 99% chance that

34:45there won't be actual animals or monsters. It would just be impossible for them to develop in such

34:50conditions. But it would make a great horror movie. Researchers want to send robots or drones to

34:57explore the tunnels first and then see if they're safe enough for humans. And it's not just the U.S.

35:03getting in on the action. China is also investigating the possibility of using these

35:08Moon caves as a future base, showing that the race to explore and settle the Moon is eating up.

35:16That's it for today! So, hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and

35:21share it with your friends. Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright

35:25Side!

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