· Moon
60 km lava tube
Context image: LRO Narrow Angle Camera view of the Marius Hills pit, a skylight into a possible lava tube in the region where Chappaz et al. (2017) found GRAIL evidence for empty tubes. It is not the 60 km tube described, which has not been identified. · NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University (LROC) (Public domain (NASA; US government work))
WhereMoon
Backing2 independent
Evidencesensor data
Max describes a 60 km x 9 km lava tube, 605 m deep and 55 m high, with a skylight on the east side (60 km is about 37 miles). Paper not yet found. GRAIL data supports empty tubes tens of km long.
Evidence, in date order (2)
- 2017Chappaz et al. (GRAIL)sensor dataGravity data shows candidate empty lava tubes tens of km long Chappaz et al. 2017: GRAIL evidence for lava tubes
- 2024Carrer et al. (Mini-RF radar)sensor dataA pit in Mare Tranquillitatis opens into an underground cave conduit, most likely a lava tube Carrer et al. 2024: a lava-tube cave under Mare Tranquillitatis
How plausible · Low
Science now confirms empty lunar lava tubes tens of kilometres long, but this specific 60 km tube has no source yet.
- ●●Independent convergence GRAIL (2017) and Carrer et al. (2024) independently show such tubes exist.
- ●●Fits the documented skeleton Confirmed lunar lava tubes.
- ●○Access Max cites a paper not yet found.
- ●○No gain sought Nothing sold.
Against
- −Lone source, no corroboration Only Max's description.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- In 2024 Carrer, Bruzzone et al. (Nature Astronomy) showed from LRO Mini-RF radar that the Mare Tranquillitatis pit opens into a cave conduit tens of metres long, most likely a lava tube. It confirms that empty lunar tubes exist; the 60 km tube itself is still untraced.
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People and organizations
Carrer et al. 2024: a lava-tube cave under Mare Tranquillitatis documentChappaz et al. 2017: GRAIL evidence for lava tubes document