The shaded areas of some pit craters on the moon have temperatures that are stable for humans
In early human history, caves provided people with protection from the elements and a place to call home
Now, similar formations on the moon could provide pioneering astronauts with a lunar safe haven, thanks to their Earth-like temperatures
The moon has pits with shaded areas that steadily hover around 63 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperate range that's stable for humans
These pit craters, which may potentially lead to caves that could also provide human shelter, have temperatures that could make lunar exploration
"Humans evolved living in caves, and to caves we might return when we live on the moon," said study coauthor David Paige
Now that there is a better understanding of the pits and potential caves, scientists could possibly pick up the pace toward conceptualizing a workable permanent station
The data comes from an analysis of images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft and computer modeling