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Oct 30, 2023

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Numerous astronomers over the years have reported seeing brief changes in the color of bri ghtness of small areas of the Moon from time to time. Known as transient lunar phenomena, or TLPs, the cause of these events is the subjects of a number of interesting and plausible h ypotheses. One possibility is that clouds of lunar gas are causing the phenomena. Many researchers bel ieve that gases beneath the surface of the Moon are occasionally expelled into the thin lunar atmosphere. The resulting gas clouds are visible from Earth as reddish or white hues. This t heory is consistent with the fact that most TLPs are seen in the vicinity of craters with large fr actures, where the gas would be able to escape to the surface. In fact, a prove sent by NAS A to the Moon detected the emission of radon gas in the vicinity of Aristarchus, a lunar crater where many TLPs have been observed. Next, some experts believe that TLPs are illuminated clouds of dust floating above the lunar l andscape. They posit that particles from space strike the Moon’s surface, causing lunar dust to levitate above the ground. Light is then reflected off the suspended dust, creating glows th at are visible from Earth. A third theory holds that TLPs are caused by solar radiation. Occasionally, magnetic storms on the Sun’s surface release intense bursts of radiation called solar flares, and it is argued th at these flares can illuminate portions of the Moon’s surface. Many astronomers have report ed a greater incidence of TLPs during the peak of the solar cycle when the highest number o f flares is emitted, a factor that strongly supports the solar flare hypothesis. As you know, transient lunar phenomena are a pretty hot topic these days. Now, you’ve read some theories about what’s behind TLPs, but do ant of these ideas really explain why these events occur? Unfortunately, I think the answer is a clear “no.” One important point I’d like to make is that gases are unlikely to be responsible for TLPs. For one thing, it’s almost certainly a coincidence that most TLPs ARE observed near lunar crater s where gases leak out. You see, as those craters are the most frequently observed features of the Moon, it’s no wonder that most TLPs are seen near them. And what about the probe th at detected radon gas near a TLP site? Well. it’s not actually known how much gas was bein g emitted there. It may have been only a small amount of fas that couldn’t be seen from Eart h. As for the idea that TLPs are caused by dust, there just isn’t any evidence for that. In order t o be visible from Earth, dust clouds would have to be very, very large huge dust storms, ess entially. But there;s never been any real indication that such storms occur on the Moon. In fa ct, we’ve got solid evidence that there’s actually very little dust floating around. Specifically, u h, Apollo astronauts who walked on the moon reported that flat rock surfaces were almost co mpletely free of fine dust particles. Let’s move on the solar flare theory, This was a popular dea for a while, but it turns out that it was based in insufficient data. A recent study collected the dates of all observed TLPs and th en systematically compared them with the dtes of collar flares, and the results were surprisin g Sometimes they matched up, but more often they didn’t. There was actually no correlation

at all between TLPs and solar flares. A condition known as white- nose syndrome (WNS0 is threatening North America’s bat popul ation. It is a contagious disease that is characterized by a fungus that grows on the snouts a nd wings of hibernation bats. With no treatment so far having proven effective, several plants of actions have been proposed to stop the spread of the fungus that causes WNS. The first strategy is to increase the acidity in bat caves. Previous scientific studies have dem onstrated that fungus cannot thrive in highly acidic conditions, so one way to stpe ot would b e to change the PH levels of bat habitats. Adding acidic fertilizers to caves could alter their a cidity levels to the point where the fungus can no longer survive. Making bat habitats inhospit able in this way would discourage the fungus from growing and spreading. A second tactic involves antifungal treatments. Scientists tested a variety of common drugs t hat are already used on animals and people to treat fungal infections to see if they would wo rk on the WNS-causing fungus. Two major types of fungicides were found to be fairly effectiv e. These drugs could be applied to the walls of the affected caves to decontaminate the area s where the fungus is currently thriving. The final plan of action suggests providing artificial habitats for the bat species. During the hi bernation season, the bats would be moved to simulated, cave-like settings that have been d isinfected and are free from the deadly fungus. This would effectively protect the bats by isol ating them during the time they are vulnerable to WNS. Additionally, having the bats in a cont rolled environment would allow scientists to monitor them for any signs of trouble. The inform ation yielded by monitoring can be used to advance knowledge about bats and better protect them against the WNS fungus. White-nose syndrome is killing off bats in record numbers and scientists are scrambling to fig ure out how to stop it. A lot of suggestions have been tossed around, but I;m going to explain why none of them can be implemented. Consider the plan to make caver more acidic, It’s just unworkable. A certain type of fungus th at causes WNS is highly tolerant to a range of conditions-that’s why eradicating it is so difficu lt. There was, um, a study that showed the fungus could frow under all kinds of conditions, e ven a wide range of acidic ones. Only the most extreme acidic environments have any effect on it. It would be nearly impossible to achieve and sustain a sufficiently high acidity level in al l of the affected caves across the continent. And I know that antifungal treatments sound like a great idea, but I’m afraid they’re not the a nswer. Even though there are fungicidal drugs that may stop the fungus that leads to WNS, t hey would cause more harm than good. We can’t just go spraying fungus-killing compounds into the delicate ecosystems of caves. Doing so would destroy several other kinds of benefici al fungi and bacteria that are necessary to keep the cave environment healthy and functionin g. I mean, to disrupt the entire ecological balance of these habitats would further endanger b ats and other species as well. Moving on to artificial habitats.. well, these are too impractical as a solution. There are millio ns of bats living in the wild, and there’s no way to construct artificial habitats for all of them, l

et alone transport and care for them. Moreover, the bats may be safe while in captivity, but o nce they are returned to the wild, they’ll be vulnerable to the fungus once again. As you can see, it’s not a realistic solution.

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