Humans Can Build Underground City on the Moon?

Underground city in the Moon (Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)

Texas - In the past, when the man looked up into the night sky and looked at the moon, the big question occurred: if there are creatures that inhabit the Moon?

Due to the effect of pareidolia - a psychological phenomenon that tends to recognize familiar shapes in random drawings or vague - we seemed to see the shadow of a grandmother or a rabbit. Chinese people believe, the long-eared animals are mashing, making the herb of immortality for the Goddess of the Moon or Chang'e. The Japanese version is different again, the rabbit was making mochi.

However, when I first set foot on the Moon on July 21, 1969, ensuring human, earth satellite was not habitable and no one living creature that hold it there. Parched, temperature extremes, radiation exposure is also remarkable.

But, that does not mean we did not get to stay on the Moon.

While humans seek shelter technology to protect humans beyond Earth, the Moon actually has provided an alternative.

United States Space Agency (NASA) reveal, satellite earth filled lava tube (lava tubes) formed a large volcanic lava flow.

The latest theory calls, underground column is large and stable enough to support the structure of the city founded the colony in the future. In other words, humans can build settlements even in the underground city of the Moon.

Data from the mission Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) NASA called, lava tubes on the Moon can reach a diameter of more than 1 kilometer. The column can support long-term exploration by humans. To be a place of protection from cosmic radiation, meteorite strikes, and the transition temperature extremes of day and night.

Researchers from Purdue University presented the results of their research based on data from NASA in the event the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held 16-20 March 2015.

Expert atmospheric and planetary sciences at Purdue University Jay Melosh said, suburb when lava cools the hot liquid crashing and form a channel-like pipe.

When the eruption and lava flow stopped, is left with the cavity of the tunnel. "There are a number of discussions to discuss whether there is true lava tubes on the Moon," he said, as quoted from the site Space.com science, Thursday (02/04/2015).

"Some evidence, such as the long and narrow valley observed from the surface, indicate if there is a lava tube on the Moon, the size must be very large."

Meanwhile, David Blair, graduate student of the Faculty of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planet, led a study that examined whether empty lava tube more than 1 kilometer in width has a stable structure on the Moon.

The team found, if the lava tube has a strong arch, it will be stable in widths up to 5,000 meters.

"This case will not be possible on Earth. However, the gravity on the Moon is much lower, and rocks there should not resist weathering and erosion as a human on the planet," said Blair.

"In theory, the giant lava tubes - which is large enough to sustain a city, there may be on the Moon.

Blair and his team found that the stability of lava tubes on the Moon depends on the width, thickness of the roof structure, and pressure conditions lava cools. They then made a number of modeling is based on a number of variables.

The researchers also made a model of a lava tube with a wall consisting of a single layer of thick, also the walls are made up of many thin layers.

The study also found, rocks on the Moon and the environment there is suitable for the application of civil engineering used to design the tunnel on Earth.

Blair added, further studies targeting a more accurate picture about the possibility of a maximum size of lava tubes on the Moon.