- 2 days ago
Something strange has just been detected on the Moon—and scientists are struggling to explain it. The signal doesn’t match any known natural phenomenon, raising questions about what could be causing it. Now, researchers are racing to uncover the truth behind a discovery that could change how we see our closest neighbor forever.
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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 time,
00:11scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of what you could only call moon goo.
00:17Remember those school lessons about the crust, mantle, and core?
00:20Much 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.
00:32It makes up about a third of our entire planet's mass.
00:35The moon's core makes up only about 1 to 2% of its mass,
00:39and its diameter is about one-fifth the diameter of the moon itself.
00:43It's surrounded by a hard, rocky mantle.
00:46But it turns out that between these two layers, that mysterious goo layer,
00:51and it's way 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.
01:04Its movement isn't chaotic, but subtle and regular.
01:08We always knew that the moon influences our seas and oceans, causing tides with its gravity.
01:14But 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.
01:28Ilmenite is rich in titanium, a strong and lightweight metal that we really love over here on Earth.
01:34Titanium is used in everything, from airplane parts and spacecraft to medical devices.
01:39Even 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.
01:53Astronomers are already planning for lunar bases.
01:56And if we had a material to build structures, spacecraft, or even tools for astronauts right there,
02:02that would be a game-changer.
02:04Otherwise, we'd need to transport materials from Earth, which is extremely costly.
02:09This 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.
02:24The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
02:30These are both space missions designed to study the moon.
02:33But they don't just look at the surface like a telescope.
02:36Instead, they help measure things we can't see with our eyes,
02:40like the moon's gravity and 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
02:53and measure tiny differences in the moon's gravity as they go.
02:57It's like they were feeling the moon's invisible pull in different places.
03:01If the moon's gravity was stronger in one spot, the spacecraft moved closer together.
03:06And if it was weaker, they moved farther apart.
03:09This helps scientists understand what's going on inside the moon,
03:13even if they can't actually go there.
03:15And the spacecraft intentionally crashed into the moon in December 2012 to end the mission.
03:21The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is a bit different.
03:24It takes super-detailed pictures of the moon
03:27and collects other important information about its surface.
03:30By combining the information from both GRAIL and LRO,
03:34we were able to find this goo layer.
03:37But this discovery actually challenges everything we thought we knew about lunar geology.
03:42How did this molten layer get there?
03:44How long has it existed?
03:46And perhaps more fascinating, how it stayed warm for millions of years?
03:51That's a million-dollar question.
03:53The moon's core generates heat, just like ours.
03:56But it's not as easy as saying,
03:58oh, 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.
04:06Meaning it produces significantly less heat.
04:09Plus, the moon is much cooler than Earth in general.
04:11With temperature dropping to minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface,
04:16how could this inner layer still stay in this flowing state?
04:19That's still a mystery.
04:20In any case, this goo could actually explain a lot of stuff about the moon.
04:25For 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.
04:36Now, beyond the moon itself, it also tells us more about other celestial bodies.
04:41If the moon, something we considered basically a huge static rock,
04:45has such a dramatic life,
04:47what about other planets, moons, or asteroids?
04:50Could they also hide similar hidden movements beneath their surfaces?
04:54We can even understand our own planet better,
04:57learn more about how tides and similar stuff works.
05:00There are so many great discoveries we've been making on the moon.
05:04Recently, we found some awesome stuff beneath the surface.
05:10For over 50 years, scientists have suspected that the moon's surface is full of underground tunnels and caves.
05:18These are known as lava tubes because they were formed by lava.
05:22Duh!
05:23Millions of years ago, the moon was pretty unstable.
05:26It underwent some volcanic activity, causing eruptions.
05:29When a volcano erupts, lava can flow across the surface.
05:33As the outer layer of the lava cools and hardens, it forms a solid roof of dark material.
05:39It's actually what these famous dark spots on the moon are.
05:43These are dark, hardened remains of ancient lava.
05:46But the hot, molten lava continues to flow through the center.
05:49Once the eruption ends and the lava drains away, what's left behind is an empty, hollow tunnel.
05:56Hence, a lava tube.
05:58On Earth, we have lava tubes in places like Hawaii or Iceland,
06:02where volcanic activity has created similar underground tunnels.
06:06The same thing happened on the moon billions of years ago.
06:10Although they're much crazier compared to ours.
06:12In fact, lunar lava tubes are now thought to be some of the largest and longest in the entire solar
06:18system.
06:18One such cave was discovered beneath the famous Mare Tranquillitus,
06:23the place where Apollo 11 first landed.
06:25And it's at least 340 feet deep.
06:28Now, all these lava systems have remained hidden just beneath the surface,
06:32untouched for millions of years.
06:34Only now, they finally managed to prove their existence.
06:38Scientists from the University of Trenta in Italy
06:41found them using special radar technology and advanced computer methods.
06:45These techniques let you see underground by sending radar waves.
06:50The waves bounce back and give clues about what's hidden underneath.
06:54By analyzing the way these waves reflected back,
06:58the researchers could detect the shape and size of the hidden caves.
07:02Now, the best thing about this discovery is that we could build all our bases there.
07:07These caves protect from radiation, harsh winds, and meteoroids.
07:11NASA 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 on the moon.
07:30And I know what you're thinking.
07:32Could unexpected lunar monsters hide deep in those caves?
07:35Well, sure, there'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,
07:47there's a 99% chance that there won't be actual animals or monsters.
07:52It would just be impossible for them to develop in such conditions.
07:55But it would make a great horror movie.
07:59Researchers want to send robots or drones to explore the tunnels first,
08:03and then see if they're safe enough for humans.
08:06And it's not just the U.S. getting in on the action.
08:09China 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.
08:21You might think high-tech telescopes let us see every inch of the moon, but that's not true.
08:27At our satellite's south pole lie giant craters untouched by sunlight for eons,
08:32stuck in pitch black, colder than Pluto, and almost impossible to explore.
08:38However, maybe we have to if we want to explore space.
08:42Because the darkness hides some must-have resources that will make life and long-distance travel in space possible.
08:50Yes, we're talking about water locked up as tiny crystals in the lunar soil.
08:56Now, water in space is always good news.
08:59You've probably heard that scientists are also obsessed with finding it on Mars.
09:04If the red planet has any type of water below its surface,
09:07it raises the exciting possibility that life might have existed there.
09:12Even microbes would be the biggest discovery in human history.
09:16That's why rovers are poking around Martian craters and drilling into the soil
09:20like some very dedicated space gardeners.
09:24But as incredible as water on Mars would be,
09:27water on the moon might be even more valuable to us in the short term.
09:32The reasons are simple.
09:33The distance and the gravity of the moon.
09:35We can reach our satellite in three days.
09:38That's almost nothing.
09:40It takes at least seven days to reach New York from London via a cruise ship.
09:44But more important than the length of the trip
09:46is the possibility of using the moon as a pit stop.
09:50Stop, refuel, and relaunch so we can resume exploration.
09:56The gravity on the moon is only one-sixth as strong as Earth's.
10:01That's not just useful for endlessly entertaining yourself by jumping around.
10:05This difference means that launching rockets from our satellite is much easier
10:10compared to launching them from Earth,
10:12which requires a tremendous amount of fuel just to break free from the atmosphere.
10:17For example, the Saturn V rocket, which took astronauts to the moon during the Apollo missions,
10:22was made up of more than 90% fuel just to get off the ground.
10:27On the moon, however, it's much easier to launch a rocket.
10:31That means that we could carry heavier loads with less fuel.
10:35It's like being able to take a bigger suitcase on your trip.
10:38If we can find and use ice on the moon to create rocket fuel,
10:42it would turn our satellite into a practical and affordable stop for exploring the solar system.
10:48Not to mention that by applying some basic chemistry,
10:51we could extract oxygen from water and use it for breathing or rocket engines.
10:57Also, astronauts would need water to drink and grow crops on the lunar base.
11:02So, what do we know about the latest discoveries?
11:06For a long time, scientists thought the moon was completely dry.
11:09But in 2009, NASA basically crashed a rocket into a crater.
11:15It caused an explosion of ice and vapor, like fireworks,
11:19and finally confirmed that the moon had some kind of water.
11:24But how much?
11:25Well, enough to matter.
11:27The data suggests there could be hundreds of millions of tons of water ice
11:32locked up in the moon's polar regions.
11:34Some estimates roughly say 1.3 trillion pounds.
11:38That's about the same weight as 460 million cars.
11:42Not exactly lakes, but still a lot.
11:45And there still could be more.
11:48This water could also contribute to uncovering cool scientific secrets.
11:53The ice is ancient,
11:54which makes it like a time capsule from the early days of the solar system.
11:59Studying those frozen molecules might tell us not only how water got to the moon,
12:04but also how it appeared on Earth.
12:08Anyway, what's all that water doing on the moon?
12:11How did it get there?
12:13Scientists assume that some of it probably hitched a ride on comons and asteroids billions of years ago.
12:19Many of those space rocks carried ice,
12:21and some of that water ended up in the polar regions.
12:25Another source could be the way solar wind interacts with the lunar surface.
12:29In any case, however this ice appeared on the moon, the real trick is where it ended up,
12:35inside its polar craters.
12:37And while we can find the ice not only in the craters at the South Pole,
12:41that's where the largest, most stable reserves are believed to be.
12:45Some of those craters are enormous.
12:47One of the most famous is called the Shackleton Crater,
12:51and it's over 13 miles wide and more than 2 miles deep.
12:55That's almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.
12:59The moon barely tilts on its axis, only about 1 degree,
13:03so the sun never peaks over the rims of those deep polar pits.
13:07The temperatures dip to around negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit there.
13:12Any water or chemicals trapped in that frozen dirt just stay there,
13:16locked away like in a freezer.
13:19Something really cool is that at the South Pole,
13:22you have parts that are stuck in the perpetual darkness,
13:25but some nearby mountain ridges get almost non-stop sunlight.
13:30Scientists call them the peaks of eternal light.
13:33They are perfect for setting up solar panels,
13:36while still being close enough to access the icy treasures hidden below.
13:41The poles of the moon are the only places in our solar system we know of
13:45where perpetual day and night exist side by side.
13:49But the eternal night isn't just fascinating, it's dangerous.
13:54The terrain out there is absolutely unforgiving.
13:58We can't even simulate something like that on Earth.
14:00We don't even know what it looks like from the inside.
14:04It's worse than exploring the northernmost part of Antarctica while wearing a blindfold.
14:09So now that we know this, is that potential water even obtainable?
14:13That question is probably worth several trillions of dollars.
14:18Yes, there's water over there,
14:19but getting to it won't be like scooping ice cream from a bowl.
14:23What we're really talking about are microscopic ice crystals mixed into lunar dust.
14:28To make use of it, machines would need to dig and heat up the soil,
14:33then capture the vapor before it escapes back into space.
14:37And then there's freezing.
14:39Even assuming a human or rover could safely reach the bottom of a crater,
14:44it'd be almost impossible to navigate.
14:47Batteries and equipment probably wouldn't last,
14:49and it's impossible to use solar panels or electronics down there.
14:53They'd freeze in minutes.
14:54However, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter uses all kinds of radars and sensors
15:00to sniff out what the crater looks like inside.
15:03And now there's an even sharper tool.
15:06Shadow cam.
15:08A camera so sensitive, it can capture details in light
15:11a hundred times dimmer than what our eyes can see.
15:15Basically, the ultimate night vision device.
15:18With it, we can finally map those pits without even setting foot there.
15:23That's why engineers are thinking up all sorts of clever solutions.
15:28Some concepts involve nuclear-powered rovers
15:30with headlights strong enough to carve through the dark.
15:34Others want robots that repel down crater walls
15:37or hop across the floor like pogo sticks.
15:39There are even ideas for drills that could melt frozen soil
15:43and trap water vapor like condensation on a cold soda can.
15:47The silver lining is that this water isn't going anywhere.
15:51Until we improve our technology, the supply will wait for us.
15:55That being said, space agencies are already making advancements.
16:00In fact, more than half a dozen new missions are lined up over the next few years.
16:06NASA's Artemis program is getting ready to send astronauts back around the moon
16:11and then down to the South Pole.
16:14China's Chang'e 7 is planning to check out those dark craters.
16:19And private companies like Firefly and Blue Origin
16:22are gearing up to deliver equipment and experiments.
16:26Now, here's a bonus lesser-known fun fact.
16:29The moon smells.
16:31When Apollo astronauts brought lunar dust into their landers,
16:35it mixed with the oxygen inside and ended up smelling pretty strong.
16:39They said it was like burnt gunpowder or fireworks.
16:43Lunar dust has nothing to do with gunpowder,
16:46but its particles are highly reactive.
16:48After sitting in space for billions of years,
16:50they reacted instantly with oxygen in the cabin,
16:53creating that smoky odor.
16:56Future explorers are definitely going to notice that smell too,
16:59since lunar dust tends to stick to everything.
17:02Let's hope that, aside from everything else,
17:05scientists will work out air fresheners for the moon base.
17:11Hey, does anyone remember the gold rush?
17:14Back in the 19th century,
17:16prospectors were flooding California rivers with a pan in hand,
17:20chasing wealth.
17:22Well, scientists now say it might be time for the moon rush,
17:26because apparently,
17:28precious metals worth over $1 trillion
17:30could be hiding underneath the surface of the moon.
17:34That's a lot of money.
17:35However, can we really reach it?
17:38And if so,
17:39who does it belong to?
17:41If you have ever paid close attention to the pictures of the moon,
17:45you probably noticed a lot of holes and craters.
17:49Our satellite is like a giant Swiss cheese.
17:51It has over 1.3 million craters,
17:54if you count those larger than 0.6 miles.
17:58But today,
17:59we're focusing on about 6,500 really big ones,
18:03those over 12 miles wide.
18:05Those were not made by little green men or little green moles,
18:09but rather by asteroids crashing into the moon since eternity.
18:14Scientists compared moon scans to meteorites,
18:17and after crunching the numbers,
18:18they think there could be a fortune in platinum hiding in those craters.
18:23What's exciting is that many of these resources
18:25could be just a few feet beneath the surface.
18:28The moon doesn't have an atmosphere like Earth,
18:31so there's no wind, rain, or earthquakes messing things up.
18:34That means those asteroid crashes
18:36left their priceless metals pretty much right where they landed,
18:40undisturbed in lunar dust for millions of years.
18:44With each crater like a giant space bull,
18:47catching platinum, iridium, palladium, and other metals.
18:51On Earth, we have to drill super deep just to get a tiny bit of these.
18:56By the way,
18:58did you know that most of the mineable gold on Earth
19:00likely came from ancient meteorites?
19:04When Earth first formed,
19:06almost all the original gold sank into the core.
19:10The stuff we can actually dig up today
19:11is probably what's left when space rocks
19:14slammed into the crust billions of years ago.
19:18So, maybe you wonder
19:19why not reach for the asteroids and mine there?
19:23Well, that's because they're out of reach.
19:25Yes, in theory,
19:27it would be possible to mine from asteroids,
19:29but obviously,
19:30the moon is way closer
19:32and easier to get to
19:33than any other giant rocks floating in space.
19:36We've already walked on it
19:38and brought back pieces of it to Earth,
19:40so it's fair to say
19:41we are familiar with it.
19:43This makes mining it a much smarter step
19:46than chasing unpredictable asteroids.
19:48However,
19:49asteroids are next on the list.
19:53Also,
19:54when it comes to mining the moon,
19:55it's not just about the prize.
19:57Some of those craters have frozen water.
20:00We know that
20:01because several missions,
20:03like NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
20:05and India's Chandrayaan-1,
20:08have found frozen water ice
20:09in dark craters near the moon's poles.
20:12This ice is super valuable
20:14because it can be broken down
20:15into oxygen and hydrogen.
20:18They are the parts needed
20:19to make rocket fuel.
20:21It could also be purified
20:22for astronauts to drink
20:23or even use to help grow plants.
20:26Imagine filling up spaceships with fuel
20:29right on the moon
20:29before flying off to other planets.
20:32Not only does that sound pretty cool,
20:34but it's also economical and convenient.
20:37That would save us
20:38a ton of money and effort.
20:41And if we're already stopping to refuel,
20:43why not stick around and set up shop?
20:47It's about building a whole new space base
20:49and turning the moon into a launching pad
20:51for exploring deeper space.
20:54A moon base would let scientists
20:56study wild space weather,
20:58practice building habitats,
20:59and test robots in real lunar dust.
21:02I can't be the only one excited for the future
21:05where robots stream their live missions
21:07from the moon.
21:08The skills and knowledge we developed there
21:11could be essential for living on Mars
21:13or exploring the moons of Jupiter and beyond.
21:16This is not as far-fetched as you might believe.
21:19Companies like AstroForge and Carmen Plus
21:22are working on tech to mine asteroids
21:24and maybe the moon someday.
21:27NASA's Artemis program is trying hard
21:30to set up a sustainable human presence
21:32on the moon in the next decade.
21:34And Europe's space agency
21:36is also eyeing lunar resources.
21:39So yeah, the idea of people and robots
21:42working together on the moon
21:43is probably just a matter of time.
21:47Still, it's not as simple as it sounds.
21:49There are big questions that humanity faces.
21:53Just like with the original gold rush,
21:55it's a bit of the Wild West
21:56when it comes to rules.
21:58The Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967,
22:02says no country can claim the moon
22:03as its territory.
22:04However, it's pretty vague
22:06when it comes to private companies
22:08mining resources.
22:09So, if you build your rocket
22:11and mine some platinum first,
22:13is it yours?
22:14Well, as for right now,
22:16it's a guessing game.
22:17Countries are debating
22:18and trying to figure it out
22:20before the space gold rush
22:21turns into a lunar free-for-all battle royale.
22:25Then, there's the challenge
22:26of protecting the moon's
22:28one-of-a-kind environment.
22:29Some craters are so quiet
22:31that scientists dream
22:32of turning them into
22:33giant space observatories
22:35that study the universe
22:36without any radio noise from Earth.
22:39Mining nearby could shake things up
22:41or kick dust into the air.
22:44Lunar soil could damage
22:45the sensitive gadgets
22:46and ruin the billion-dollar
22:48science experiments.
22:49That would definitely annoy researchers.
22:53Plus, some parts of the moon
22:54have been untouched,
22:55and mining could wipe out cool spots
22:58we haven't even fully explored yet.
22:59So basically,
23:01we want to make sure
23:02we don't turn the moon
23:03into a lunar construction site
23:05before we've learned
23:06all its secrets.
23:08That's why some experts suggest
23:10setting up protected zones
23:12on the moon,
23:12like national parks here on Earth,
23:14where mining and heavy machines
23:16just aren't allowed.
23:18That way,
23:19we get the benefits
23:20of lunar resources
23:21but keep the moon's
23:22most important areas safe
23:23for research and discovery.
23:26But here's an even bigger question.
23:28How is this thing going to affect
23:30us casual Earthlings
23:31who can't take a walk
23:32up to the moon
23:33with our metal detectors
23:34and explore?
23:36The moon's rare metals
23:38aren't just worth a lot.
23:39They could actually be
23:40super useful for future tech.
23:43Platinum group metals,
23:44which might be found
23:45in lunar soil,
23:46are used in things
23:47like medical gear,
23:48satellites,
23:49and even some types
23:50of batteries and fuel cells.
23:51If the moon really is
23:54sitting on a trillion-dollar treasure,
23:56it could boost tech industries
23:58and possibly lower costs.
24:00There's also helium-3,
24:03a rare isotope
24:04found on the lunar surface.
24:06Scientists think it could
24:07someday be used
24:08for nuclear fusion,
24:10providing a clean,
24:11powerful source of energy
24:12that doesn't create
24:14greenhouse gases
24:15or long-term radioactive waste.
24:17If fusion becomes possible,
24:19even small amounts of helium-3
24:21could power entire cities.
24:24One cool perk
24:25of using resources from space
24:27is that we could cut down
24:28on all the digging
24:29and pollution here on Earth.
24:31That means less damage
24:33to our environment
24:34and more sustainable ways
24:35to keep up
24:36with our growing population's needs.
24:39On the other hand,
24:40all these new opportunities
24:41could create new challenges.
24:44Of course,
24:45there's going to be
24:45a cosmic tug-of-war
24:47with who gets the goodies.
24:48Nobody wants the fear
24:49of missing out
24:50on a moon rush.
24:51Bottom line,
24:53lunar mining
24:53isn't just a science experiment.
24:55It's something
24:56that could affect economies,
24:58technology,
24:59and the environment
25:00here on Earth,
25:01for better or worse.
25:04When I was a kid,
25:05hundreds of years ago,
25:06we had the moon bases
25:07on the covers
25:08of our science books.
25:09One of the reasons
25:10why moon landing projects
25:11became so rare
25:12is that it just
25:13wasn't financially viable.
25:15Why should a country
25:16spend resources
25:17to get to the moon
25:18if there's nothing
25:19valuable up there?
25:21However,
25:22now that we think
25:23there's something out there,
25:24everything could change.
25:26That's why I already
25:27imagined myself
25:28working 9 to 5
25:29on the moon,
25:30fixing robots
25:31and growing moon plants.
25:32But it's time
25:33to get back to Earth,
25:34so to speak.
25:35Nobody's setting up
25:36a moon McDonald's
25:37or booking lunar
25:38Airbnbs just yet.
25:40Even the most optimistic
25:42experts say
25:43we're still decades away
25:44from big mining operations
25:46or permanent lunar bases.
25:49For now,
25:50most missions
25:50will be robotic,
25:51experimental,
25:52and with price tags
25:53that will make
25:54your head hurt.
25:55So until we all
25:56get our moon mining helmets,
25:58it's something to think
25:59about while moon gazing.
26:01Hmm,
26:01what about that wealth
26:03hiding on the bright side
26:04of the moon?
26:05Thank you for watching!
26:08Under your feet,
26:10the moon is pulsing.
26:11You feel danger
26:12with every pore of your body.
26:14The lifeless satellite,
26:15or so you thought,
26:16stays still for a second
26:18before knocking you
26:19down to the ground
26:20with a powerful tremor.
26:21Is it a moonquake?
26:25For years,
26:26scientists believed
26:27the moon was completely inactive,
26:29but the newest evidence
26:30seems to suggest
26:31that this idea
26:33is totally wrong.
26:35Researchers from
26:36the University of Maryland
26:37have recently discovered
26:39266 mysterious ridges
26:41on the far side of the moon.
26:43And these ridges
26:44likely point to
26:45recent geological activity.
26:47So,
26:48are we really talking
26:50moonquakes?
26:51Well,
26:52kind of.
26:52The ridges are located
26:54in volcanic regions
26:55that formed
26:553.2 to 3.6 billion years ago,
26:58but they appear
27:00much younger than expected,
27:01typically found
27:02in clusters
27:03of 10 to 40.
27:04They're often located
27:06in areas
27:06where the moon's surface
27:07is structurally weaker.
27:10Now,
27:11when astronomers speak
27:12about recent,
27:13don't take their words
27:14literally.
27:15They don't mean
27:16last year
27:16or even decade.
27:18Most models
27:19scientists created
27:19suggested that
27:20the moon's
27:21geological activity
27:22ended 2.5
27:23to 3 billion years ago.
27:25But the new information
27:27hints at the possibility
27:28that these formations
27:29have been active
27:30within the last
27:31billion years.
27:33Some of the smaller ridges
27:34seem to have formed
27:35as recently
27:36as 200 million years ago.
27:39And that is considered
27:40relatively young
27:41on the moon's timescale.
27:43It means that the moon
27:44may still be experiencing
27:46geological changes today.
27:48These discoveries
27:50kind of challenge
27:51our understanding
27:52of the moon's history
27:53and evolution.
27:54But how did scientists
27:55come to these conclusions anyway?
27:58Researchers from
27:59the University of Maryland
28:00and the Smithsonian Institution
28:02used crater counting
28:03to estimate
28:04the age of lunar ridges.
28:06It works like this.
28:08Surfaces with fewer craters
28:10are younger.
28:11And the more craters
28:12some region has,
28:13the older it is.
28:15Plus,
28:15the analysis showed
28:16that some ridges
28:17cut through
28:18already existing craters,
28:20meaning they likely formed
28:21around 160 million years ago.
28:24In geological terms,
28:26this is very recent,
28:28suggesting that
28:29these ridge-forming processes
28:30may still be happening.
28:33Another cool thing
28:34is that the ridges
28:35on both the near
28:36and far sides of the moon
28:38are similar,
28:39which means
28:40they may have formed
28:41through the same
28:41geological processes,
28:43having been shaped
28:44by the same forces.
28:47These forces
28:48might include
28:49the moon's
28:49gradual shrinking,
28:50thermal contraction,
28:52and shifts
28:52in its orbit.
28:53We'll talk about it
28:54a bit later.
28:56Another argument
28:57supporting the idea
28:58of a still-active moon
29:00is decades-old data
29:01from the Apollo missions.
29:03They had already
29:04detected shallow moonquakes
29:05with the Apollo
29:06Lunar Seismic Experiment,
29:08recording 28 quakes
29:09ranging from
29:10magnitude 1.5
29:12to 5.
29:13Researchers believe
29:14that these ridges
29:15may be linked
29:16to similar seismic activity.
29:19Now,
29:20about that bizarre shrinking
29:21of our natural satellite.
29:23Scientists believe
29:24the moon formed
29:25about 4.5 billion years ago
29:27when a Mars-sized object
29:29collided with early Earth.
29:31This catastrophic impact
29:33likely sent
29:34bunches of superheated material
29:36into space.
29:37Eventually,
29:38they came together
29:39and formed the moon.
29:40In its early years,
29:42the moon was just
29:43a molten world,
29:44shaking from intense
29:45volcanic and seismic activity.
29:48So,
29:49the moon used to be
29:50a molten mess
29:51floating through space.
29:52But when did it
29:54actually solidify?
29:56Scientists
29:56have finally figured it out,
29:584.43 billion years ago.
30:01This was a huge turning point,
30:03not just for the moon,
30:04but for Earth too.
30:07After all,
30:07the giant impact
30:08that formed the moon
30:09might have also been
30:11the final blow
30:12that made Earth
30:13stable enough
30:13to support life.
30:14In any case,
30:16billions of years passed.
30:18The moon gradually
30:19cooled and contracted.
30:20And now,
30:21look at this
30:22modern-day rocky sphere
30:23illuminating our nights.
30:25But the moon
30:26isn't completely rigid yet.
30:28It still keeps cooling.
30:30And this slow cooling
30:32of its core
30:32might be one possible reason
30:34for the moon's
30:35continued activity.
30:36As it cools,
30:38the moon's interior contracts,
30:39which leads to cracks
30:40and shifts in the crust.
30:42One of the clearest signs
30:44of this contraction
30:44is found in the lunar maria.
30:47See these large,
30:48dark patches on the moon?
30:49Those are called maria,
30:51areas formed
30:52when lava-filled
30:53ancient asteroid impact craters
30:55and then solidified.
30:57Then, over time,
30:58the cooling and contracting crust
31:00created these wrinkle ridges.
31:03Another factor
31:04of the ongoing
31:05geological activity
31:06could be the moon's
31:07gravitational interactions
31:08with Earth.
31:09Such non-stop,
31:11powerful interactions
31:12likely create surface stress
31:14and trigger
31:15tectonic movements.
31:16It's all good
31:17and exciting,
31:18but can this activity
31:20on the moon
31:20actually affect humans?
31:22In a sense,
31:23it can.
31:24The moon has long
31:26been seen
31:26as a stable place
31:27for future bases
31:28and resource extraction.
31:30But the discovery
31:31of this ongoing
31:32geological activity
31:33is pretty worrying.
31:35If the surface
31:36is still shifting,
31:38future settlements,
31:39infrastructure,
31:39and mining operations
31:41could face
31:42serious risks.
31:43That's why,
31:44at the moment,
31:45we need seismometers
31:46and ground-penetrating radars
31:48to better understand
31:49these movements.
31:50It will allow us
31:51to assess potential dangers
31:52before any long-term
31:54missions begin.
31:55By the way,
31:57there's another potential problem
31:58future lunar missions
31:59might have to deal with,
32:01and it's moon dust,
32:03a.k.a.
32:03regolith.
32:05Apollo astronauts
32:06quickly learned
32:07that this jagged,
32:08sticky dust
32:09gets everywhere
32:10and can damage suits,
32:12equipment,
32:12and even health.
32:14A new study
32:15from Texas A&M engineers
32:17found another problem.
32:19When rockets land
32:20or take off,
32:21they kick up regolith,
32:22which can become
32:23a collision hazard,
32:24especially with many spacecraft
32:26bringing crews
32:27and cargo to the moon.
32:30Lunar regolith
32:31comes in all sizes,
32:32from tiny dust particles
32:34to large rocks.
32:36The main ingredient
32:37in moon dust
32:37is fine silicate materials,
32:40about 70 microns in size,
32:42like a human hair.
32:44They formed
32:45over billions of years
32:46as meteors and asteroids
32:48smashed into the moon's surface,
32:50grinding much of it
32:51into powder.
32:53Unlike Earth,
32:54the moon has
32:55almost no atmosphere.
32:56It's incredibly thin,
32:58so there's no wind
32:59or water
32:59to smooth out the dust.
33:01On top of that,
33:03constant exposure
33:04to solar wind
33:05has given the regolith
33:06an electrostatic charge,
33:08making it stick
33:09to anything it touches.
33:11Apollo astronauts
33:12quickly found this out
33:13the hard way.
33:14Moon dust
33:15clung to their suits,
33:16got tracked
33:17inside their landers,
33:18and stuck to everything.
33:20Worse,
33:21it became a health hazard,
33:22causing eye irritation
33:23and breathing problems
33:24inside their spacecraft.
33:26But, at the moment,
33:28it seems like a problem
33:29for future us.
33:31A much more important issue
33:33is finding water
33:34to support future missions,
33:35and China is going
33:37to deal with it.
33:38It's getting ready
33:39for a big mission
33:40to look for hidden ice
33:41on the moon.
33:42As part of the
33:43Chang'e 7 mission,
33:45in 2026,
33:46a flying robot
33:47will explore deep craters
33:49at the moon's south pole,
33:50where ice might be trapped.
33:52If they manage to confirm it,
33:54this could be a game-changer
33:56for future lunar missions.
33:59Astronauts will have
34:00a water source
34:00and even fuel
34:02for space travel.
34:03The mission is a key step
34:05in China's plan
34:06to land astronauts
34:07on the moon
34:08within five years.
34:10While signs of water
34:11have been found before,
34:12like in soil samples
34:14from Chang'e 5's probe
34:15and observations
34:16by NASA
34:17and Indian spacecraft,
34:19scientists believe
34:20that deep ice deposits
34:21are the real key
34:22to supporting future missions.
34:25The south pole
34:25of the moon
34:26has some incredibly
34:27deep craters,
34:28and experts think
34:29ice could be hiding
34:30inside them.
34:32The flying robot
34:33will try to explore
34:34one or more
34:35of these craters
34:36after landing.
34:37If it does find the ice,
34:39it could make
34:40long-term moon missions
34:41much cheaper
34:42and more practical,
34:44helping astronauts live
34:45and work on the moon.
34:47Some scientists
34:48also think
34:49that this discovery
34:50could offer us
34:51some clues
34:51about extraterrestrial life.
34:54In any case,
34:55whether we find water
34:56on the moon
34:57and learn to deal
34:58with that pesky dust
34:59or not,
35:00the recent discovery
35:01of those young lunar ridges
35:03is a game-changer.
35:04If the moon
35:05is still geologically active,
35:07it means we don't know
35:09as much about
35:09our closest neighbor
35:10as we thought.
35:12What else could
35:12the moon be hiding?
35:13Are we really prepared
35:15for the idea
35:15that this lifeless satellite
35:17might actually be
35:18more dynamic
35:19than we imagined?
35:21Future missions,
35:22which might not be
35:23as safe as we once believed,
35:25will probably show.
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