00:00There's something happening inside the Moon, something that nobody expected.
00:05Not a dramatic shift you'd see on the outside, but deep down, where things seem frozen in
00:11time, scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of what you could only call Moon goo.
00:17Remember those school lessons about the crust, mantle, and core?
00:21Much like the Earth, the Moon is made up of layers – a crust, mantle, and core.
00:26However, the Moon's core is much smaller compared to ours.
00:30Earth's core is huge – it makes up about a third of our entire planet's mass.
00:35The Moon's core makes up only about 1-2% of its mass, and its diameter is about one-fifth
00:41the diameter of the Moon itself.
00:43It's surrounded by a hard, rocky mantle.
00:47But it turns out that between these two layers – that mysterious goo layer – and it's
00:52way more important than you might think.
00:54The layer is soft and partially molten, ebbing and flowing like the tides in our oceans.
01:00It rises and falls, stretching and shifting as if it were alive.
01:05Its movement isn't chaotic, but subtle and regular.
01:09We always knew that the Moon influences our seas and oceans, causing tides with its gravity.
01:15But it turns out that we influence it back.
01:18The goo ocean reacts to the gravitational dance between Earth and the Sun.
01:23Also, the molten layer could be made of ilmenite, a very intriguing material.
01:29Ilmenite is rich in titanium, a strong and lightweight metal that we really love over
01:33here on Earth.
01:35Titanium is used in everything from airplane parts and spacecraft to medical devices.
01:40Even in everyday items like bikes and laptops.
01:43All because it's incredibly strong and very resistant to corrosion and heat.
01:48So if the Moon might have a molten layer rich in ilmenite, that would be awesome!
01:54Astronomers are already planning for lunar bases.
01:57And if we had a material to build structures, spacecraft, or even tools for astronauts right
02:02there, that would be a game-changer.
02:05Otherwise we'd need to transport materials from Earth, which is extremely costly.
02:10This is our first tangible sign that the Moon is not just a cold, boring rock.
02:15Instead, it's dynamic, living, and breathing, with moving forces beneath the surface.
02:21NASA used new special tools to discover this – the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
02:28and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
02:30These are both space missions designed to study the Moon, but they don't just look
02:34at the surface like a telescope.
02:36Instead, they help measure things we can't see with our eyes, like the Moon's gravity
02:41and how it changes over time.
02:44GRAIL sent two small spacecraft around the Moon named Ebb and Flow.
02:49Clever.
02:50The idea was for these spacecraft to fly close to each other and measure tiny differences
02:55in the Moon's gravity as they go.
02:57It's like they were feeling the Moon's invisible pull in different places.
03:02If the Moon's gravity was stronger in one spot, the spacecraft moved closer together,
03:07and if it was weaker, they moved farther apart.
03:10This helps scientists understand what's going on inside the Moon, even if they can't
03:14actually go there.
03:16And the spacecraft intentionally crashed into the Moon in December 2012 to end the mission.
03:22The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is a bit different.
03:25It takes super-detailed pictures of the Moon and collects other important information about
03:29its surface.
03:31By combining the information from both GRAIL and LRO, we were able to find this goo layer.
03:37But this discovery actually challenges everything we thought we knew about lunar geology.
03:43How did this molten layer get there?
03:45How long has it existed?
03:47And perhaps more fascinating, how it stayed warm for millions of years?
03:51That's a million-dollar question.
03:54The Moon's core generates heat, just like ours.
03:57But it's not as easy as saying, oh, the core's heat probably keeps it warm and molten.
04:02Well, first, the Moon's core is much smaller and less active than Earth's, meaning it
04:07produces significantly less heat.
04:09Plus, the Moon is much cooler than Earth in general.
04:12With temperature dropping to minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface, how could this
04:16inner layer still stay in this flowing state?
04:19That's still a mystery.
04:21In any case, this goo could actually explain a lot of stuff about the Moon.
04:26For example, astronomers were exploring moon quakes and how they happened.
04:30Now they think that it might be this semi-molten layer shifting and moving beneath the surface.
04:36Beyond the Moon itself, it also tells us more about other celestial bodies.
04:41If the Moon, something we considered basically a huge static rock, has such a dramatic life,
04:47what about other planets, moons, or asteroids?
04:50Could they also hide similar hidden movements beneath their surfaces?
04:55We can even understand our own planet better.
04:57Learn more about how tides and similar stuff works.
05:01There are so many great discoveries we've been making on the Moon.
05:04Recently, we found some awesome stuff beneath the surface.
05:08Massive caves, hidden for millions of years.
05:11For over 50 years, scientists have suspected that the Moon's surface is full of underground
05:16tunnels and caves.
05:18These are known as lava tubes because they were formed by lava, duh!
05:24Thousands of years ago, the Moon was pretty unstable.
05:26It underwent some volcanic activity, causing eruptions.
05:30When a volcano erupts, lava can flow across the surface.
05:34As the outer layer of the lava cools and hardens, it forms a solid roof of dark material.
05:40It's actually what these famous dark spots on the Moon are.
05:43These are dark, hardened remains of ancient lava.
05:47But the hot, molten lava continues to flow through the center.
05:50Once the eruption ends and the lava drains away, what's left behind is an empty, hollow
05:56tunnel.
05:57Hence, a lava tube.
05:59On Earth, we have lava tubes in places like Hawaii or Iceland, where volcanic activity
06:04has created similar underground tunnels.
06:07The same thing happened on the Moon billions of years ago.
06:10Although they're much crazier compared to ours.
06:13In fact, lunar lava tubes are now thought to be some of the largest and longest in the
06:17entire solar system.
06:19One such cave was discovered beneath the famous Mare Tranquillatus, the place where
06:24Apollo 11 first landed.
06:26And it's at least 340 feet deep.
06:29All these lava systems have remained hidden just beneath the surface, untouched for millions
06:34of years.
06:35Only now, they finally managed to prove their existence.
06:39Scientists from the University of Trento in Italy found them using special radar technology
06:44and advanced computer methods.
06:46These techniques let you see underground by sending radar waves.
06:50The waves bounce back and give clues about what's hidden underneath.
06:55By analyzing the way these waves reflected back, the researchers could detect the shape
07:00and size of the hidden caves.
07:03The best thing about this discovery is that we could build all our bases there.
07:07These caves protect from radiation, harsh winds, and meteoroids.
07:12NASA even found evidence that some of these caves stay at a steady 63 degrees Fahrenheit.
07:18That's some crazy coziness for the Moon.
07:20And on top of that, there could even be some water there.
07:24So humans could take shelter inside these natural tunnels and build entire colonies
07:29on the Moon.
07:30And I know what you're thinking.
07:32Could unexpected lunar monsters hide deep in those caves?
07:36Well, sure!
07:37There's a huge potential for exploring these caves and finding some awesome stuff.
07:42But even if we manage to find a miracle, like small life or microbial organisms, there's
07:48a 99% chance that there won't be actual animals or monsters.
07:52It would just be impossible for them to develop in such conditions.
07:56But it would make a great horror movie.
08:00Researchers want to send robots or drones to explore the tunnels first, and then see
08:04if they're safe enough for humans.
08:07And it's not just the US getting in on the action.
08:10China is also investigating the possibility of using these Moon caves as a future base,
08:15showing that the race to explore and settle the Moon is eating up.
08:20That's it for today!
08:22So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
08:26friends!
08:27Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
Comments