Lunar Caves

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured images of cave openings hundreds of feet deep on the moon, formed when ceilings of underground lava tubes collapsed. Lava tubes are a reminder of the volcanic activity in the moon’s youth. Lava torrents began to cool as soon as they erupted, and as the outer layer hardened to crust, it formed a tube that kept the molten rock inside hot and flowing. Now drained, these tube-like caverns are natural shields from radiation and meteor showers, and if an entire system of porous tubes is found beneath the moon’s surface, it’s possible that they could be used as shelter for future human visitors on the moon—or even colonies. We’ll live like ants, except ants don’t have awesome lava tunnels.

(Source: science.nasa.gov)