Astronomers are calling for urgent protection of regions on the moon considered prime spots in the solar system for advanced instruments designed to unlock the secrets of the universe.
Primary locations are free from ground vibration, protected from Earth’s noisy broadcast signals or extreme cold; This makes them uniquely suitable for sensitive equipment that may make observations impossible from elsewhere.
But untouched spots known as areas of outstanding scientific importance (Sesis) are in danger of being devastated by an imminent wave of missions such as lunar navigation and communications satellites, rovers, and mining operations. sites were “an urgent matter”.
Astronomer Dr. of the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts. “For the first time, humanity has to decide how we will expand into the solar system,” Martin Elvis said. “We are in danger of losing unprecedented opportunities to understand the universe.”
At least 22 international missions are expected to land on the Moon by the end of 2026; Half of these are expected to go to regions near the Moon’s south pole. More will follow, including commercial and civilian landers, and two lunar bases, one US, the other Chinese and Russian, are expected to be operational by the 2030s.
Without any coordinating authority, there is nothing to prevent future conflicts on the moon, the researchers say. Risks range from physical impacts and dust clouds created by lunar activities, to vibrations, electromagnetic interference, and damage to sites from drilling and other operations.
The prospect of performing astronomy from the moon was little more than a dream two decades ago, but researchers now have definitive plans for instruments that could be placed on the lunar surface, some by the end of the decade. These include optical, infrared,
The far side of the moon is the most radio-quiet place in the solar system, thanks to 70 billion tons of lunar rock that blocks transmissions from Earth. The conditions make it perfect for radio telescopes to observe cosmic dark ages, the time before stars, and to look for “technosignatures” of alien life. But the far side is so mountainous that scientists have identified only three locations where large telescope arrays could be built. The substance, called Mare Moscoviense, is rich in helium-3, which US startup Interlune wants to mine for the quantum computing and fusion energy industries.
Other important areas are the crater bases at the north and south lunar poles, which have been protected from direct sunlight for billions of years. These permanently shadowed regions, or “cold traps”, are among the coldest places in the universe and are ideal for large infrared telescopes that can only operate at temperatures below -200C. Lunar infrared telescopes can image Earth-sized planets around distant stars and look for signs of life in their atmospheres.
Other spots that astronomers want to preserve are cold traps in seismically quiet areas of the moon. The absence of ground vibrations makes them ideal for gravitational wave detectors, which can detect motions 1,000 times smaller than atomic nuclei. One idea is to place seismometers in cold traps around the moon to detect how the moon itself vibrates as gravitational waves pass by.
Writing in the Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions, Elvis and Missouri University of Science and Technology political scientist Dr. Alanna Krolikowski said Sesis offered “extraordinary opportunities for astronomical research” but warned that these sites were “rare and fragile”.
For example, some cold traps contain ice and are located next to “peaks of eternal light” (crater rims and ridges that receive sunlight all year round); This makes them hotspots for experiments, moon bases, and mining operations that require power, water, and oxygen. “The likelihood of having competing uses for the same piece of land is pretty good,” Elvis said.
Researchers add that constellations of satellites providing communications and GPS on the moon could interfere with telescopes and disrupt astronomers’ plans, while heavy rovers and mining robots could produce dust and vibrations that disrupt sensitive experiments.
“We were all surprised by how visible the Starlink satellites became,” Elvis said, referring to the impact of Elon Musk’s mega-constellations in the night sky. “We should be able to get our ducks in a row and discuss the protection of certain places on the moon.”