Study finds some Earth microbes could survive for days in shadowed niches at the Moon’s south pole

The useful part

Scientists believe that some microbes could survive for a week or more at the lunar poles. Gregory H Revera/CC BY-SA 3.0) The Moon's polar regions may be less hostile to microbes than previously thought. High ultraviolet radiation and temperatures make the Moon's surface a harsh place and not somewhere bacteria and other micro-organisms can easily survive.

How it works

• Things might be quite different at the lunar poles, however, since sunlight strikes these high-latitude regions at a low angle because of the Moon's minimal tilt to the Sun of 1.5°.
• The researchers began by making highly resolved spatial maps of the topography in these regions that included ruggedness, slopes and shadowing effects.
• Microbes and the Moon Read more Survival does not mean growth (which requires active metabolism and potential reproduction), however, stresses Saxena.
• "Cells may also be dead," he tells Physics World, "but even dead cells may persist in the environment as another potential source of contamination." The work could apply beyond the Moon, he says.
• Indeed, a number of different airless bodies such as Mercury, Ceres, some asteroids and comets and exoplanets that may have similar properties could also have potential survivable niches for microbial life.

What to take from it

Because of these unique properties, future crewed missions, such as NASA's Artemis IV, are scheduled to go to the Moon's south pole, which has also been identified as a possible future location for a human outpost. "We need to understand what was there before us, because when we search for signs of life beyond our planet on these bodies, we will want to make sure it's not stuff we brought," says Saxena. This is particularly true for the equatorial regions, where all previous crewed missions have been sent.

Example or evidence

• These provided a wealth of information that will be used to prepare future missions.
• Indeed, humans carry millions of microbes on their skin and even more in their bodies.
• They also modelled the UV exposure and temperature in these regions to identify specific locations where micro-organisms could survive for at least 24 h.

Details worth keeping

The verification e-mail to change your password should arrive immediately. The result is long permanent shadows where it is cooler. "Since the temperatures at the lunar poles are rarely high enough to kill bacteria and low temperatures can preserve microbes on Earth, UV radiation is generally likely to be more dangerous in these regions, says Saxena.

Related coverage

• Gizmodo: Researchers created a mini Enceladus in the lab to see how microscopic life would fare in the moon's ocean.
• Nanowerk: Saturn's icy moon Enceladus might be more supportive of life than was previously thought. A new study reveals that microorganisms could survive in its hidden ocean.
• Phys: We've been searching for life on Mars for a long time, but so far we've come up empty.
• Phys: In the search for extraterrestrial life, it makes sense to first look for rocky planets with an atmosphere, like Earth.