Lunar Pits

Pits are remarkable features that provide a window into the subsurface. Their origin is somehow related to the volcanic plumbing system that transported lava that flooded the mare basins. The big question is – what do they lead into? An open cave system (in the form of lava tubes) or a dead end? An LROC image of the Mare Tranquillitatis pit taken when turning the spacecraft 45° showed that the floor extends at least 25 m under the surface (yellow arrows connect like features). But how far does the floor extend? 50 m, 100 m, 1000 m? What a great target for a robotic explorer – spelunking on the Moon!

• Latitude: 8.335°
• Longitude: 33.222°
• Camera: NAC
• Image Width: 0.2 km
• Image(s): M126710873R, M155016845R, M152662021R
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