While the moon is uninhabitable today, there may have once been life on its surface, according to a new study. Researchers from Washington State University suggest that aliens may have lived on the moon twice in history – once 4 billion years ago, and again 3.5 billion years ago. During both of these periods, the researchers believe the moon spewed out large amounts of superheated gases, including water vapour. This water vapour could have formed pools of water on the surface.
The study report reveals that the first cells of life might have been carried to earth’s natural satellite in a meteorite. Researchers believe that meteorites carrying basic organic particles might have left the earth and could have landed on the moon during the ancient times, which finally resulted in the creation of life on the lunar surface.The study report is now published in the Monday edition of Journal Astrobiology.
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The two planetary scientists who took part in the research argue that during both these periods in the ancient past, the moon has spewed out a vast amount of hot gases including water vapor. The gases thus formed might have created liquid water on the surface, as well as a stable atmosphere that could keep it there. However, the researchers made it clear that the current conditions in the moon is not suitable for life.
“If liquid water and a significant atmosphere were present on the early Moon for long periods of time, we think the lunar surface would have been at least transiently habitable. It looks very much like the moon was habitable at this time. There could have actually been microbes thriving in water pools on the moon until the surface became dry and dead ” said Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an astrobiologist at Washington State University, who co-wrote the study with Ian Crawford, a professor of planetary science and astrobiology at the University of London.
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