Jakarta – Astronomers speak out about protecting sites on the Moon. The site is considered the best place in the Solar System and could house sophisticated instruments designed to reveal the secrets of the universe.
Quoting from detikInet, the main location of the site on the Moon requested to be protected is free from ground vibrations. then, it is protected from noisy Earth broadcast signals. and very cold. Such conditions make it a very suitable location for sensitive equipment making observations.
But these pristine places, known as sites of extraordinary scientific interest (Sesis), are in danger of being damaged by an imminent wave of missions such as lunar navigation and communications satellites, robotic explorers and mining operations. Experts warn that these valuable areas must be protected immediately.
“This is the first time humanity has had to decide how we will expand into the Solar System,” said Dr Martin Elvis, an astronomer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts, USA, quoted by The Guardian.
“We are in danger of losing a unique opportunity to understand the universe,” he stressed.
At least 22 international missions are expected to land on the Moon by the end of 2026, with half of them heading to locations near the Moon’s south pole.
After that, more would follow, including commercial and civilian landers. Not only that, two bases on the Moon, one base belonging to the US, and another base belonging to China and Russia, are expected to be operational in the 2030s.
Without a coordinating authority, there is nothing to prevent future clashes on the Moon. The risks range from physical collisions and dust clouds generated by lunar activity to vibrations, electromagnetic interference and site damage from drilling and other operations.
The prospect of doing astronomy from the Moon was just a dream two decades ago. But researchers now have solid plans for such instruments, some of which could be installed on the lunar surface by the end of the decade.
These tools include optical, infra-red, X-ray and radio telescopes, particle detectors to probe the solar wind and cosmic rays, and gravitational wave detectors that detect subtle vibrations in space-time when black holes and neutron stars collide.
The far side of the Moon is the quietest place for radio signals in the Solar System, thanks to the presence of 70 billion tons of lunar rock that blocks it from transmitting from Earth.
These conditions make them perfect for radio telescopes to observe the cosmic dark ages, the time before stars, and to search for signs of alien life technology.
But the far side has a mountainous landscape, so scientists have identified only three locations where large telescope arrays could be installed. One of them, called Mare Moscoviense, is rich in helium-3, a substance that American startup Interlune hopes to mine for the quantum computing and fusion energy industry.
Another key location is the crater floors at the Moon’s north and south poles which have been protected from direct sunlight for billions of years. Permanently dark regions, known as ‘cold traps’, are among the coldest places in the universe and are ideal for large infra-red telescopes which can only operate at temperatures below -200C.
The Lunar infrared telescope can photograph Earth-sized planets orbiting distant stars and search for signs of life in their atmospheres.
Another place astronomers want to protect is cold traps in seismically quiet regions of the Moon. The lack of ground vibrations makes it ideal for gravitational wave detectors that can detect movements 1,000 times smaller than atomic nuclei.
One idea is to place seismometers in cold traps around the Moon to detect how the Moon shakes when gravitational waves pass through it.
Writing in the Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions, Elvis and Dr Alanna Krolikowski, a political scientist at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, said thatSISs provides extraordinary opportunities for astronomical research, but also warned that the site is rare and fragile.
For example, some cold traps contain ice and are located near ‘eternal light peaks’, regions of crater rims and ridges that receive sunlight throughout the year, making them prime sites for experiments, lunar bases and mining operations that require electricity, water and oxygen.
“The prospect of competition for the same land use is quite large,” said Elvis.
Constellations of satellites that provide communications and GPS on the Moon could also undermine astronomers’ plans by interfering with telescopes, while heavy rover robots and mining robots could produce dust and vibrations that thwart sensitive experiments, the researchers added.
“We were all surprised by how visible the Starlink satellites were,” said Elvis, referring to the impact Elon Musk’s mega-constellations had on the night sky.
“We must be on the same page and able to debate about certain places on the Moon that must be protected,” he stressed.
This article was published on detikInet with the title Scientists Ask for the Moon to be Protected to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe.
(rns/sud)
2024-04-11 17:05:17
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