Scientists Have Just Discovered A Massive Network Of Caves On The Moon

Future colonies could take advantage of caves that have been found beneath the surface of the Moon.

A space breakthrough is the most thrilling thing there is, and this month has seen a rather massive one.

According to a report published by a research team headed by the University of Trento in Italy, caves beneath the Moon's surface may have been found and they could be very beneficial.

The finding might be important because it appears that astronauts might use these caves as a place to stay when travelling through space in the future.

Humans first landed on the moon in 1969. NASA

Scientists have been theorizing about the caves and tunnels for more than fifty years.

The possibility that the caves could exist was made in 2009 when a group of specialists discovered a deep hole on the lunar surface.

And the cooling of lava beneath the surface is what created them.

Before discussing the most recent finding, scientists went over the 2010 lessons they had learned from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. 

This spacecraft has been circling the Moon since 2009 to study its surface and look for possible landing locations for future missions.

The study coordinator, Lorenzo Bruzzone, stated in an interview with Wired: "We analyzed these images with complex signal processing technologies recently developed in our laboratory, and found that part of the radar reflections from an area of the Sea of Tranquility can be attributed to an underground conduit."

First author of the work Leonardo Carrer added: "This discovery provides the first direct evidence of an accessible rock tunnel beneath the surface of the moon."

"It is very likely to be an emptied lava tube."

The Moon isn't exactly the safest place for people to live, as scientists long ago found.

Scientists have been theorizing about the caves for over half a century. Getty Images

Meteorites and radiation make the celestial object a highly hostile place to be.

Indeed, radiation from the sun and cosmos can be up to 150 times more intense than that which we encounter on Earth, and meteorites are always a constant hazard.

Therefore, it is necessary to locate sheltered regions to keep astronauts safe, and it appears that this discovery may be the first step in the correct path.

The caves may prove to be ideal temporary residences for astronauts, and they will be crucial for building long-term infrastructure in space.

However, these homes aren't exactly practical. Experts have suggested that astronauts might need to abseil in and possibly use jet packs to get out because of their depth.