![]() ![]() The total area of these carbon dioxide traps totals 204 square kilometers, with the largest area in the Amundsen Crater hosting 82 square kilometers of traps. The new research, published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters, which publishes high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences, shows that these cold traps include several pockets concentrated around the lunar southern pole. ![]() To find the coldest spots on the moon's surface, researchers analyzed 11 years of temperature data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, an instrument flying aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The carbon dioxide and other potential volatile organics could also help scientists better understand the origin of water and other elements on the moon.Īlthough cold traps have been predicted by planetary scientists for years, this new study is the first to firmly establish and map the presence of carbon dioxide cold traps. In these cold traps, carbon dioxide molecules could freeze and remain in solid form even during peak temperatures in the lunar summer.įuture human or robot explorers could use the solid carbon dioxide in these cold traps to produce fuel or materials for longer lunar stays. In the permanently shadowed regions at the poles of our moon, temperatures dip below those in the coldest areas of Pluto, allowing for carbon dioxide cold traps. ![]()
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