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Scientists identify lunar pits in orbital images, then combine detailed terrain maps, temperature measurements, radar, and gravity data to investigate what may lie beneath them. A pit is an observed surface opening; it is not, by itself, proof of a cave or lava tube. The strongest conclusions come from combining independent measurements—and even then, the extent of a subsurface void can remain unknown.
How do scientists find lunar pits?
Researchers begin with images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera’s Narrow Angle Camera (LROC NAC). NASA described an automated search algorithm that scanned thousands of high-resolution images for surface features resembling openings or depressions. The search identifies candidates by appearance; it does not determine what formed them or whether they connect to a cave.
Lighting and viewing conditions shape what can be found. Shadows can make an opening easier to recognize, while unsuitable sun angles, difficult high-latitude coverage, and features too small to identify confidently at the available image resolution can hide candidates. NASA’s 2014 account reported a catalogue of more than 200 pits, ranging from about 5 meters to more than 900 meters across. Those are figures reported at the time, not a current catalogue total. NASA’s 2014 account of lunar pit detection also cautions that appearance in LRO images alone provides little evidence for any particular cause.
How do they map a pit’s shape?
Once a candidate is found, scientists measure the visible terrain around it. Stereo image pairs taken from different LRO NAC viewing angles can be used to build three-dimensional surface views and topographic maps. NASA describes high-resolution stereo imagery at 0.5–2 meters per pixel. These products help characterize the rim, walls, surrounding slopes, and possible overhangs. The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) adds elevation and slope measurements. NASA’s LRO science and data overview describes these imaging and topography resources.
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These methods reveal surface geometry, not a complete view of what is below the rim. A shadowed wall or floor-level opening may be difficult or impossible to inspect from orbit, so mapped shape should not be confused with a full cave survey.
How do temperature and illumination help?
LRO’s Diviner Lunar Radiometer measures thermal infrared emission, allowing researchers to map surface temperatures and compare how terrain behaves under changing illumination. Temperature patterns can help test whether a pit’s shaded regions or a possible adjoining void have unusual thermal conditions.
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A 2022 study by Tyler Horvath and colleagues used Diviner observations and models to examine the Mare Tranquillitatis pit. It estimated temperatures near 17°C (63°F) in shaded parts of that particular pit and modeled a possible cave whose temperature would vary by less than 1°C along its length over a lunar day. These are site-specific, model-based results, not direct confirmation that a cave exists or a general temperature estimate for lunar caves. The authors explicitly noted that remote observations cannot establish a cave’s existence with complete certainty. Read the 2022 Diviner study in Geophysical Research Letters.
How can radar reveal a possible cave?
Optical cameras record reflected light from surfaces; radar can provide clues about subsurface structure that cameras cannot see directly. In 2024, NASA reported that reanalysis of Mini-RF radar observations collected by LRO in 2010 found evidence consistent with a cave extending more than 200 feet (about 60 meters) from the base of the Mare Tranquillitatis pit. NASA said the full extent is unknown. The possibility that it could continue for miles is not a mapped measurement. NASA’s 2024 report on the Mini-RF finding describes the result and its limits.
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This result concerns Mare Tranquillitatis and should not be conflated with evidence from other sites. For the Marius Hills region, a 2022 paper summarizes earlier work combining GRAIL gravity data and SELENE Lunar Radar Sounder observations. A mass deficit along the rille containing the pit, followed by radar evidence of a transition between solid material and an empty cavity, supports the possibility of an extended lava-tube system there. That is a separate line of evidence at a different location, not an extension of the Mini-RF measurement at Mare Tranquillitatis. The 2022 Marius Hills study discusses the combined evidence.
What can a lunar pit tell scientists about the Moon?
Pit walls can expose rock layers normally buried beneath the surface. NASA quoted Arizona State University researcher Robert Wagner describing images of walls that cut through dozens of layers—evidence that lunar maria formed through many thin lava flows rather than only a few large ones. Such exposed stratigraphy offers a way to investigate volcanic history; a lander or rover could potentially examine the layers and help determine their ages. NASA’s discussion of pit-wall layers and future ground investigation distinguishes what orbital images show from what surface exploration might establish.
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These are two related but separate scientific questions: what the visible walls reveal about lunar geology, and whether a void continues beneath or beyond the opening. Layered walls can be directly observed in images even when cave continuity and dimensions remain uncertain.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How strong is the evidence that a pit is a cave entrance?
Scientists build confidence by comparing independent measurements rather than relying on a dark spot or a suggestive outline. Surface morphology can identify a candidate opening; stereo imaging and altimetry clarify its shape; thermal observations constrain temperature behavior; radar and gravity can add evidence about subsurface structure. Composition maps and the geological setting can help interpret how a feature formed, but each measurement addresses different questions.
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- Observed: the surface opening, its visible walls, and mapped surrounding terrain.
- Inferred: a subsurface void, a connection between that void and the pit, or a lava-tube origin.
- Not automatically established: that every pit is a cave entrance, that a possible conduit is accessible, or that its full length and internal shape are known.
NASA’s 2014 account emphasizes that pit appearance alone does not point to a unique cause, while the 2022 thermal study and 2024 radar report each retain specific uncertainty about remote interpretation and extent. Careful descriptions therefore say “possible cave,” “inferred conduit,” or “evidence consistent with a lava tube” unless stronger evidence applies to a particular site.
What would a robotic investigation add?
A rover or lander could approach a pit, inspect lower walls and floor-level openings, and collect measurements unavailable from orbit. That could help establish whether an opening connects to a void, characterize its interior, and study exposed layers directly. Any mission assessment would also need to consider access, illumination, terrain, and communication conditions; an orbital indication of a cave does not by itself show that a vehicle or astronaut could safely reach it.
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