The discovery could influence future lunar missions and could impact the feasibility of a sustained robot or human presence on the Moon.
In the permanently shadowed regions at the poles of the Moon, temperatures dip below those in the coldest areas of Pluto, allowing for carbon dioxide cold traps. In these cold traps, carbon dioxide molecules could freeze and remain in solid form even during peak temperatures in the lunar summer.
As well as fuelling longer longer lunar stays, the carbon dioxide and other potential volatile organics could also help scientists better understand the origin of water and other elements on the Moon.
Although cold traps have been predicted by planetary scientists for years, this new study is the first to firmly establish and map the presence of carbon dioxide cold traps.
To find the coldest spots on the surface, researchers analysed 11 years of temperature data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, an instrument flying...