Did COVID-19 impact the Moon? Scientists explain how
Recent research findings have revealed a unique connection between Moon surface temperatures and the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown. Researchers observed that the night-time surface temperatures of the Moon dropped during the period of April and May 2020, when lockdowns all around the world were under place, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters examined lunar temperatures from the past. “Lunar night-time surface temperatures of six different sites on the Moon’s nearside were analyzed during the period 2017–2023,” the authors wrote. “Results showed an anomalous dip in the lunar night-time surface temperatures for all the sites during April–May 2020.”
The research highlighted that this cooling can't be attributed to solar radiation, which does not influence the Moon in its night-time phase. Rather, the cooling was connected to a decline in Earth's radiation output, which has been already demonstrated to affect the surface of the Moon. Although earlier studies have shown that Earth's radiative emissions can influence lunar temperatures, this is the first time such a significant, transient influence has been recorded in relation to a worldwide event.
The researchers call for further studies from Moon-based observatories to confirm these findings and explore the potential of the Moon as a tool for studying Earth's environmental changes.
