The Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 had a significant impact on lunar surface temperatures, reveals a recent study by Indian researchers. According to the study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, used data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, said that an anomalous decrease of 8-10 Kelvin was observed in night-time surface temperatures on the Moon during the lockdown period from April to May 2020.
The team, led by researchers K Durga and G Ambily from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), analysed temperature data from six lunar sites over a period from 2017 to 2023, according to the media reports.
They found that the temperature drop coincided with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols resulting from the decrease in human activities during the lockdowns, leading to less heat being trapped in Earth’s atmosphere, thus, in turn, affecting the lunar surface.
PRL director Anil Bharadwaj, highlighthted the uniqueness of this research, as it provides an opportunity to observe the effects of reduced human activity on nearby celestial bodies. ‘2020 recorded the coldest temperature across most sites analysed, with a warming trend observed in the following years as human activity picked up’.
The reports further added, ‘However researchers acknowledged the need for further data to confirm the relationship between changes in Earth’s radiation and lunar temperature fluctuations. They have proposed that future lunar observatories could facilitate deeper investigations into how Earth’s climate changes influence the Moon’s environment.
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