Reduced Human Activities On Earth During Lockdown Led To Dip In Moon Temperature, Reveals Study

Photo: NASA

New Delhi: A major drop in lunar surface temperatures was witnessed due to reduced human activities on Earth during the Covid-induced lockdown, revealed a recent study by Indian researchers. The Moon’s nighttime temperatures fell by 8-10 Kelvin during the lockdown period. This indicates that there may be a connection between Earth’s atmospheric changes and the moon.

According to reports, the researchers had analyzed the data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to come to this conclusion. They found that the temperature decrease coincided with a drastic reduction in human activities on Earth, reported the NDTV. The decline in greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols during the lockdown seems to have altered the radiation emitted from Earth. This may have led to a cooling effect on the Moon.

The study was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, underscores the link between Earth and the Moon. The study was led by researchers K Durga Prasad and G Ambily from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL). The researchers analyzed lunar surface temperature data from six locations between 2017 and 2023.

The temperature drop in 2020 offers a unique opportunity to examine how reduced human activity on Earth may have affected the Moon, said Anil Bharadwaj, director of PRL, according to the report.

Researchers also claimed that while the findings present strong evidence, further data was needed to fully understand the Earth-Moon dynamics.