September 30th 2024.
The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on Earth has extended beyond our planet's boundaries, as a recent study has discovered a significant decrease in lunar temperatures during the months of April and May 2020. The research, conducted by K. Durga Prasad and G. Ambily from the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters.
It all started with the first lockdowns in China and Italy, implemented in March 2020 to contain the spread of the pandemic. Soon, many other countries followed suit, and by the following month, approximately half of the world's population was under some form of lockdown, including quarantine and stay-at-home orders. These measures have had a noticeable impact on human activities, such as industrial pollution, transportation, and fossil fuel burning.
As a result, there has been a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and pollutant levels, leading to less heat being released from the Earth's surface during the night. This decrease in human activity has also affected the Moon, which could potentially serve as a "stable platform" for studying climate change on Earth, according to the researchers.
To investigate this further, the team analyzed night-time surface temperatures recorded at six sites on the Earth-facing side of the Moon from 2017-2023. During the months of April and May 2020, they found a considerable decrease in the heat reaching the Moon, which they attributed to the global lockdowns in place at the time.
The researchers observed a decrease in maximum temperatures at all sites, with a night-time temperature change of nearly 8-10 Kelvin. This decrease in heat reaching the Moon's surface has significant implications for our understanding of Earth's radiation budget and could potentially support ongoing efforts to study climate change.
Overall, this study highlights the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and the potential of the Moon as a platform for studying our planet's changing climate. As we continue to navigate through this global crisis, it is essential to consider the effects on not just our Earth, but also on the other celestial bodies that we are connected to.
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