There may once have been life on the moon

The moon is currently uninhabitable, but in the distant past it may have been very different. 3.5 billion years ago, our natural satellite may have had liquid water, an atmosphere and even microbial life, scientists say.

The moon today is a dry and barren place, completely devoid of life. But was this always the case? New research suggests that perhaps at some point in its history the Silver Globe mohead meet the conditions to support life.

Researchers at Washington State University with the coo³collaborating with colleagues at the University of London, they conducted the study, with which theorych shows that in the distant past the moon moThe globe may have had an atmosphere, and its surface may have contained liquid water. Such conditions may have promoted the persistence of simple life forms. A publication on the subject appeared on „Astrobiology”.

Scientists point to two periods in the history of our natural satellite, whichore may have been conducive to life. It was a krotko after the birth of the Moon about four billion years ago and po³ billion years poź later. The authors of the publication believe that during both of these periods the Moon was undergoing a peak of volcanic activity. It ejected large amounts of gas from its interiorow, including water vapor. This may have caused a reservoir to form on the surface of the Silver Globeoin liquid water and an atmosphere dense enough to last millions of years.

– If liquid water and a dense atmosphere had been present on the early Moon for a long time, its surface would have been temporarily habitable – said Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an astrobiologist at Washington State University and cooauthor of the publication.

Schulze’s work’a-Makuch and Ian Crawford of the University of London is based on findings from recent space missions and detailedoThe lunar analysis probek lunar rocks and soil. The study shows that the Moon is not as dry as previously thought.

In 2009-2010, an international teamo³ scientistow discovered on the Moon hundreds of millionoin tons of ice. Moreover, there is strong evidence for the presence of large amounts of water in the moon’s mantle, ktore likely to have been deposited there in the very early history of Earth’s natural satellite. Early Moon mohead is the roAlso protected by a magnetic field, ktore could have shielded possible life forms on its surface from the solar wind.

But where did life on the Moon come from? Researchers say it may have been brought to it by meteorites. The earliest evidence of life on Earth comes from fossilized cyanobacteria, ktore are 3.5-3.8 billion years old. At the time, the Solar System was hit by meteoritesow were not unusual. It is possible that a strong meteorite impact ejected a piece of Earth into space containing the aforementioned cyanobacteria, whichowhich just happened to land on the Moon – claim the authors.

– It is highly likely that at that time the Moon was suitable for supporting life. They may have been microbes inhabiting bodies of water until its surface became dry and dead – Schulze-Makuch said.

The authors admit that confirmation of their thesis can only be provided by finding on the Moon a trace of former life. However, I so far nothing of the sort has occurred. One of the promising Drog exploration for future space missions would be to obtain probek from goldoż from a period of increased volcanic activity on the Moon to see if they contain water or other possible signs of life.