00:00Don't get all upset, but the Moon is shrinking and getting wrinkled, pretty much like a grape
00:06turning into a raisin.
00:08That happens because our natural satellite has been retaining its inner heat for over
00:124 billion years.
00:14But its core is gradually cooling down and becoming more dense, like me.
00:19Unlike a grape's flexible skin, the Moon's surface is pretty brittle.
00:23This brittleness causes faults to form where different sections of the crust push up against
00:28each other, leading to what scientists call moonquakes.
00:33So far, our satellite has shrunk by around 150 feet in circumference.
00:38It's such a tiny change that it won't affect the look of eclipses or the phases of the
00:42Moon.
00:43Even tidal cycles won't be affected since the Moon's mass hasn't really changed.
00:49The shrinking process won't directly affect us down here, but that doesn't mean that
00:54all humans are safe.
00:58Moonquakes caused by the shrinking process have been a concern for years.
01:03During the famous Apollo missions, NASA astronauts left seismometers at different points on the
01:08Moon.
01:09Those are devices capable of identifying seismic activity on the lunar surface with exceptional
01:15precision.
01:16The equipment was operational for several years, and it managed to capture over 12,000
01:21moonquakes, ranging in magnitudes from 2 to 5.
01:26Up until 1977, the team was able to identify four distinct types of quakes.
01:33Some tremors, like those caused by meteorite impacts, were relatively easy to identify.
01:39But the cause of the so-called shallow moonquakes remains a mystery to scientists, and that
01:44can be an obstacle to future missions on lunar soil.
01:49As the name suggests, shallow moonquakes occur relatively close to the surface, typically
01:54between 30 to 135 miles beneath the surface.
01:59Recent research suggests that these tremors are triggered by the compression of the Moon's
02:04surface, leading to the formation of thrust faults, where one surface layer is pushed
02:09up over another.
02:11This study also discovered where the epicenters of the strongest ones were.
02:16It all started in the South Pole region, precisely where we want to settle down.
02:22Interest in the lunar South Pole peaked in 2023, when India's Chunduran mission successfully
02:28landed and deployed a rover to explore the area.
02:31NASA also has plans for the same spot.
02:34And their ambitious goal is to take astronauts there for the very first time.
02:39The Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2026, currently has 13 potential landing spots at
02:45the South Pole, represented by the blue squares here.
02:49One of the options is situated within a geological feature called the Gerlach Rim 2, which is
02:54a strategic area for exploration.
02:57It might have ice, because parts of it are completely in the dark.
03:00But it's close enough to areas that do have sunlight, which is crucial as a source of
03:04power.
03:05Now, take a look at the pink dots on that same map.
03:09They represent possible epicenters of the strongest moonquakes recorded by the Apollo
03:14missions.
03:15That means that thrust faults in the area could be relatively young and potentially
03:20active, representing a real danger to the Artemis III crew.
03:25These astronauts will journey to lunar orbit over the course of 30 days, and two crew members
03:30will descend to the surface, spending about a week at the South Pole.
03:34Their moonwalk will be particularly challenging, given the extreme temperatures of these permanently
03:39shadowed regions.
03:41The presence of moonquakes and possible landslides only adds more danger to this mission, as
03:47this phenomenon is far more frightening than earthquakes.
03:53The strongest moonquake ever recorded had a magnitude of 5.7.
03:58You might think that's not a big deal, considering that countries like Chile, Colombia, and Papua
04:04New Guinea experienced earthquakes of similar magnitude in 2023 without significant damage.
04:12But the gravitational pull on the moon is relatively weaker than on Earth, so what feels
04:17like a gentle tremor on our planet might be a real ground-shaking event up there.
04:22This happens because you're not as firmly connected to the surface of the moon as you
04:26are on Earth, meaning that seismic waves can cause the surface to move more freely.
04:33There's also a huge difference in duration.
04:37Earthquakes typically last between 10 and 30 seconds, with some lasting up to 2 minutes.
04:43A moonquake can persist much, much longer than that.
04:46Our satellite is essentially a solid, rigid, and dry sphere, so when a tremor shakes the
04:52moon's surface, it resonates powerfully without any natural means of dissipation.
04:58Moonquakes can last for a good 10 minutes, or even longer, with little tremors sticking
05:02around for hours afterwards.
05:06These new findings about shallow moonquakes won't actually change the potential landing
05:10sites for Artemis III, and they won't affect the duration of the mission either.
05:16That's because accurately estimating how often a specific region experiences these
05:20tremors is tricky and unpredictable.
05:24What scientists do know is that these shallow quakes aren't very common and pose a low
05:28risk to short-term missions on the lunar surface.
05:32But that situation changes completely if we consider long-term habitation on the moon,
05:38and that could happen sooner than we expect.
05:43The Artemis III mission represents an important first step toward space colonization.
05:49China is also making the first moves to establish a permanent lunar base at the South Pole by
05:532040.
05:55Their strategy involves utilizing 3D printing and brick production from lunar soil for constructing
06:01the moon base.
06:03That definitely sounds fascinating, but putting together a setup like that comes with a bunch
06:07of challenges.
06:10Including dealing with intense cosmic radiation, the lack of water, and, of course, long-lasting
06:15moonquakes.
06:19Over billions of years, the surface of the moon has been hit by asteroids and comets,
06:24causing bits and pieces to constantly break off from the impacts.
06:27Because of this, all the surface material is pretty loosely packed.
06:31So when there are quakes, slopes in the same area can become susceptible to landslides
06:37or new faults opening up.
06:39Future settlements located too close to these unstable slopes could put everyone living
06:44inside these lunar bases at risk.
06:47Moon dust adds another layer of complexity because, without erosion or water to smooth
06:52it out, it can harden to the point of being as tough as glass.
06:58If we really want to understand how dangerous moonquakes might be for people living and
07:02working on the moon in the future, space agencies still need to map out and get new seismic
07:07data.
07:08And not just from the South Pole, but from the entire satellite.
07:12In 2025, the Farside Seismic Suite Mission, or FSS, plans to deploy two of the most high-precision
07:20seismometers ever built to the Schrödinger crater, which is located on the dark side
07:25of the moon.
07:26Finding out what's happening on the ground there is crucial for understanding the complex
07:30lunar structure and its internal dynamics.
07:34I mean, scientists are still trying to figure out whether the lack of recorded seismic activity
07:40on the far side of the moon is due to current instruments not being capable of detecting
07:45it.
07:46Or if it's due to some kind of interference from melted material in the mantle.
07:51Once they have this answer, it will be easier to fully understand the phenomenon of shallow
07:56moonquakes and assess their implications for future neighborhoods on our natural satellite.
08:03You may have heard that Earth is also shrinking, but it's a different process.
08:07Basically, the moon is getting smaller mainly because its core is cooling down naturally.
08:14The Earth's core is cooling too, but our planet got its crust with tectonic plates
08:18unlike the moon, which only has one plate.
08:22So the energy from Earth's core shifts those plates around or comes through volcanic eruptions.
08:29Earth is actually losing mass overall due to atmospheric loss.
08:33Our planet loses about 100 million pounds of mass per year, mostly from a leaky atmosphere.
08:40Earth's gravity isn't strong enough to retain the lightest particles, like hydrogen and helium,
08:45which escape into space.
08:47But don't worry, these numbers aren't cause for alarm, considering that our planet's
08:52atmosphere weighs about 5 quadrillion tons, a number I can't even imagine.
08:57So in other words, it would take many, many, many times the current age of the universe
09:02for it to completely evaporate.
09:04Well that makes me breathe easier, how about you?
09:10That's it for today!
09:11So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
09:15friends!
09:16Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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