Moon's temperature dipped during Covid-19 lockdown on Earth: Report

The COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 likely had a significant impact on lunar surface temperatures, revealed a recent study by Indian researchers. The study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, used data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, stated that an "anomalous" decrease of 8-10 Kelvin was observed in night-time surface temperatures on the Moon during the lockdown period from April to May 2020.

The team, led by researchers K Durga Prasad and G Ambily from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), analysed temperature data from six lunar sites over a period from 2017 to 2023, as per a Times of India report. They found that the significant temperature drop coincided with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols resulting from the decrease in human activities during the lockdowns, leading to less heat being trapped in Earth's atmosphere, thus, in turn, affecting the lunar surface.

PRL director Anil Bharadwaj, cited in the ToI report, highlighted the uniqueness of this research, as it provides an opportunity to observe the effects of reduced human activity on nearby celestial bodies. According to the study, 2020 recorded the coldest temperatures across most sites analysed, with a warming trend observed in the following years as human activity picked up.

The researchers, however, acknowledged the need for further data to confirm the relationship between changes in Earth's radiation and lunar temperature fluctuations, further added the report. They have proposed that future lunar observatories could facilitate deeper investigations into how Earth's climate changes influence the Moon's environment.