Scientists have recently identified a cave on the moon near the historic Apollo 11 landing site where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot 55 years ago.

An Italian research team announced on Monday that they found evidence of a substantial cave linked to the deepest known pit on the moon. The discovery is located in the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles from where Apollo 11 landed.
The pit, like over 200 others found on the moon, formed when a lava tube collapsed. Researchers used radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and compared it with lava tubes on Earth. Their study was published in Nature Astronomy.

According to the scientists, the radar data shows only the entrance to the underground chamber. They estimate the cave is at least 130 feet wide and tens of yards long, likely even more. They believe many more such caves exist, potentially serving as future shelters for astronauts.

“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence” of one, Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento stated in an email to the Associated Press.

The majority of the pits are found in the moon’s ancient lava plains, the researchers noted. Some may also be located at the moon’s south pole, where NASA plans to land astronauts later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters in this region might contain frozen water, which could be used for drinking and rocket fuel.
Such structures could offer natural protection for astronauts against cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorites. Constructing habitats from scratch would be more time-consuming and difficult, though reinforcing the cave walls to prevent collapse may be necessary, according to the researchers.