Moon Hole: Colony or Lunar Base Possible

Want to own a piece of land on the Moon? Want to go stay there and experience something new? Well, that isn't as easy as it sounds. But wait! Scientists have discovered a 'Moon Hole' (lava tube or a deep, giant hole) on the Moon that is very suitable for a colony or a lunar base. Scientists made use of high-resolution images from Japanese moon orbiter SELENE, to discover this lunar lava tube. Colonists have a much better chance of survival in such a hole as compared to a Moon crater or lunar sea.

The Moon hole is vertical, 213 feet wide and 260 feet deep, and is situated in the volcanic Marius Hills region on the moon's near side. A thin sheet of lava protects this hole from the Moon's harsh temperatures and meteorite strikes. There have been lava tubes discovered before on the Moon, but this one is special as the lava shield on this hole will not collapse. This aspect makes it an excellent place for inhabitation.

Junichi Haruyama, a senior researcher with the Japanese space agency JAXA, and lead of the team of scientists, said, "Lunar lava tubes are a potentially important location for a future lunar base, whether for local exploration and development, or as an outpost to serve exploration beyond the Moon. Any intact lava tube could serve as a shelter from the severe environment of the lunar surface, with its meteorite impacts, high-energy UV radiation and energetic particles, and extreme diurnal temperature variations."

Aggressive research will continue on the Moon hole now, while NASA works on its Constellation Program, which aims at returning to the Moon by 2020, and setting up a lunar colony by 2025.