COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 caused a surprising drop in the Moon's surface temperatures due to reduced human activity on Earth.
In an unexpected revelation, scientists have found that the global COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 had an impact not just on Earth, but also on our closest celestial neighbour, the Moon. A groundbreaking study by Indian researchers, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, reveals that the lunar surface temperatures dropped unusually during the strict lockdown period between April and May 2020.
The study highlighted a consistent decrease of 8-10 Kelvin in the Moon’s nighttime surface temperatures during those months, compared to the same period in previous years. This drop in temperature was linked to a significant reduction in Earth’s outgoing radiation as human activities dramatically slowed down during the pandemic. With fewer cars on the roads, planes in the skies, and industries operating, emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols fell sharply. This led to less heat being trapped in Earth’s atmosphere, which in turn affected the amount of radiation emitted from the planet.
The paper noted, "Results showed an anomalous dip in the lunar night-time surface temperatures for all the sites during April–May 2020, the strict COVID-19 global lockdown period, when compared to the values of the same period during the previous and subsequent years." This rare global event allowed scientists to observe how changes in human behaviour on Earth could influence the Moon’s environment.
The researchers recorded considerable variations in lunar temperatures across different sites and years. The lowest overall temperature in 2020 was 96.2 Kelvin at one location, while another site recorded 143.8 Kelvin in 2022. Generally, the coldest temperatures were observed in 2020, with a warming trend in 2021 and 2022 as human activity resumed on Earth.
Although the study presents an intriguing correlation between Earth's radiation and lunar temperatures, the authors stressed the need for more data to fully confirm this connection. They proposed that future observatories based on the Moon could play a vital role in studying Earth’s climate and environmental changes.
This discovery not only emphasises the deep connection between Earth and its nearest cosmic neighbour, but also offers new perspectives on the broader impacts of global human activity. As we continue to explore how our actions on Earth affect other celestial bodies, studies like this could lead to innovative methods for monitoring the planet’s environmental health from space.
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 "Study finds COVID-19 lockdowns led to surprising drop in Moon’s surface temperatures")
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