The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan 3 mission has made a surprising discovery. The lunar lander, which touched down on the Moon’s south pole on Sunday, has sent back its first findings on the temperature of the lunar surface. Scientists were not expecting the high of 70-degree Celsius temperature near the surface that was recorded by the lander.
ISRO scientist BH Darukesha told news agency PTI, “We all believed that the temperature could be somewhere around 20-degree centigrade to 30-degree centigrade on the surface but it is 70-degree centigrade. This is surprisingly higher than what we had expected.”
The temperature variation on the lunar surface around the south pole ranges from 70 degree Celsius to minus 10 degree Celsius. This information is being shared with the scientific community for the first time, thanks to ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 mission. The temperature data was collected by the Vikram payload at different depths. According to the chart presented by ISRO, the temperature remains around 50-degree Celsius on the ground and increases to over 60-degree at a height of 20mm. At a depth of -80mm below the ground, the temperature drops to minus 10-degree Celsius.
The temperature measurements were taken during the lunar day, which is still ongoing. However, ISRO chairman S Somnath explained that the south pole is less illuminated by the Sun, which is why it was chosen as the landing site for Chandrayaan 3.
The latest findings by Chandrayaan 3 has raised curiosity of scientists and opened up new avenues for research. The unexpectedly high temperature on the Moon’s south pole can enhance our understanding of the Moon’s geology and environment.
