Flashes on the moon

This happens several times a week. Sometimes only brief flashes of light appear on the surface of the moon. Other light phenomena on the Earth's satellite may last longer. And sometimes, there are also places that darken temporarily.

Science does not know exactly how these phenomena occur on the moon. But he tried to explain them: the impact of a meteor, for example, should cause a brief enlightenment. These flashes could also occur when electrically charged solar wind particles react with moon dust.

"Seismic activity has also been observed on the moon.When the surface moves, gases reflecting sunlight can escape from the inside of the moon.This would explain the luminous phenomena, some of which last hours, "says Hakan Kayal, a professor at Space. Technology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany.

Lunar telescope installed in Spain

Kayal is most interested in these appearances. "The so-called transient lunar phenomena have been known since the 1950s, but they have not been sufficiently observed." This is changing and Professor JMU wants to contribute.

At first, the Kayal team built a lunar telescope and put it into service in April 2019. It is located in a private observatory in Spain, about 100 kilometers north of Seville, in a rural area. Why Spain? "The weather conditions for observing the moon are simply better than in Germany," Kayal said.

The telescope is remotely controlled from the JMU campus. It consists of two cameras that monitor the moon night after night. This is only if both cameras record a luminous phenomenon at the same time as the telescope triggers other actions. He then stores the photos and video footage of the event and sends an email to Kayal's team.

The system is not yet finished – the software, which automatically and reliably detects flashes and other light phenomena, is being refined. Kayal plans to use artificial intelligence methods: neural networks ensure that the system learns progressively to distinguish a flash of moon technical defects or objects such as birds and planes passing in front of the camera . It is estimated that another year of work will be needed before it can be done.

For Kayal, reducing the false alarm rate as much as possible is only the first step of this project. The system, which he develops on Spanish soil, will be used later for a satellite mission. The cameras could then operate in orbit around the Earth or the Moon. The professor hopes that this will lead to much better results: "We will then be rid of the disturbances caused by the atmosphere."

What happens once the telescope has documented a luminous phenomenon? The Kayal team will then compare the result with ESA's European Space Agency, which also observes the moon. "If the same thing was seen there, the event can be considered confirmed." If necessary, other common research could then be initiated.

A new race to the moon

The interest for lunar luminous phenomena is currently high. This is also due to a new "race to the moon" in progress: China launched a complete lunar program and launched in early January 2019 a probe on the far side of the moon. India plans a similar mission. In response to these initiatives, US President Donald Trump spoke in May of the US's return to the moon and announced that he wanted to bring NASA "back to its former size".

Behind all these activities are hidden reasons of prestige and a desire for technological "supremacy" in space. China and other actors such as Space X, however, envision the Moon as a long-term habitat for humans. In addition, the moon contains raw materials, for example rare metals for smartphones and other devices.

"Anyone who wants to build a lunar base at a given time must of course know the local conditions," explains Professor Kayal. And if such projects should become concrete? At the latest, we will see clearly what are the mysterious lightning and the luminous phenomena.

---

---