A Cave Conduit on the Moon, below the Mare Tranquillitatis Pit

Collapse pits and skylights characterized by vertical overhanging walls were first identified on the lunar surface in 2009. This discovery prompted scientists to speculate about the possibility of these pits leading to caves that could potentially be utilized as protective shelters, suitable for future human settlements.
A study recently published in Nature Astronomy and carried out by an international team of researchers, led by the University of Trento, was able to demonstrate, for the first time with a direct observation, that huge accessible caves exist below the surface of the Moon.
The researchers have observed an empty cave conduit, interpreted as a potential lava tube that provides a means of deep access to the lunar subsurface through a collapse known as Mare Tranquillitatis Pit. This collapse is located within the basaltic sea of the same name.
The direct observation was made possible using an innovative radar image processing technique that can see through darkness. This method was applied to radar data collected by the Mini-RF radar sensor currently orbiting the Moon.
Riccardo Pozzobon, a researcher in planetary geology at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Padua, and an expert in satellite remote sensing of planetary surfaces and terrestrial analogues, provided geological expertise for these volcanic structures. He specifically validated the data obtained from the MiniRF radar to ensure a credible geological interpretation.
Link to the research: www.nature.com...