Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
A recent study by Indian researchers has identified a surprising effect of the COVID-19 lockdowns: a notable decrease in lunar surface temperatures.
The research indicates that nighttime temperatures on the Moon dropped by 8-10 Kelvin during the global lockdown in 2020.
The team analysed temperature data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, revealing that the cooling coincided with a significant decline in human activities on Earth.
The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols during the lockdown appears to have altered the radiation emitted from Earth, resulting in a cooling effect on the Moon's surface.
The findings were published in the *Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters*, highlighting the connection between Earth and the Moon.
Led by K Durga Prasad and G Ambily from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), the team examined lunar temperature data from six locations between 2017 and 2023.
After human activities resumed, lunar temperatures increased, suggesting a link between human actions on Earth and environmental changes beyond our planet.
The study emphasizes the need for further data to understand the Earth-Moon dynamic, suggesting that future lunar observatories may enhance our understanding of how human activities influence celestial environments.