A related discovery of a mysterious cave on the Moon that could shelter humans on future space missions.

Can you imagine the possibility of living on the moon?

At least astronauts will be able to do so in the future, as a team of scientists has confirmed the existence of a cave near where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could be home to future astronauts.

A team of researchers from the University of Trento in Italy reported on Monday that there is evidence of a cave of considerable size accessible from the deepest known trench on the Moon.

The grave is located in an area called the Sea of ​​Tranquility, the site where humans first set foot on the satellite in 1969, just 250 miles from the Apollo 11 landing site.

For at least half a century, scientists have theorized about the existence of tunnels beneath the moon’s surface, and a new study aims to put the debate to rest by pointing to the existence of a channel that could be an empty lava tube.

The cave, like more than 200 caves found on the moon, was formed by the collapse of a lava tube, according to a study published in the journal. Nature Astronomy.

The researchers analyzed radar measurements taken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth.

Scientists believe that the radar data shows only the beginning of the underground cavity. They estimate that it is at least 130 feet wide and tens of yards long, although it is likely more, but the data obtained does not allow for an exact calculation.

“The lunar caves have been a mystery for more than 50 years, so it was great to finally demonstrate the existence of one,” Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento wrote in an email to AP.

It is believed that there are permanently shadowed craters containing frozen water that could provide drinking water as well as store rocket fuel vital for future lunar missions.

The moon is a hostile environment for human life due to its sudden temperature changes.

These caves could serve as a natural shelter for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays and solar radiation, as well as the effects of micrometeorites.

Cosmic and solar radiation on the surface of the Moon can be 150 times more powerful than on Earth, and there is a constant threat of meteorite impacts.

These conditions necessitate the search for safe places to build infrastructure capable of supporting sustainable research, and caves like these offer a solution.

Building the habitat from scratch would have taken longer and been more challenging, the team says, even taking into account the possible need to reinforce the cave walls to prevent collapse.

The rocks and other materials inside these caves, unaltered by harsh surface conditions over the centuries, could also help scientists better understand the evolution of the Moon, particularly with regard to its volcanic activity.