Researchers Use AI to Identify Strange Reflective 'Anomalies' on the Moon

Researchers Use AI , to Identify Strange Reflective , 'Anomalies' on the Moon.
'Vice' reports that scientists have
uncovered strange, reflective "anomalies"
on the surface of the moon.
Research published in the 'Journal of Geophysical
Research - Planets' stems from a series of images captured
by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
Using artificial intelligence, researchers were able
to analyze over a million images to discover
approximately 130,000 of these unexplained anomalies.
Normally, lunar dust is very
porous and reflects a lot of light
back in the direction of illumination, Marcel Hess, Image analyst from the
Technische Universität Dortmund, via 'Vice'.
However, when the dust is
compacted, the overall brightness
usually increases. This is not the case
with the observed dust-covered rocks, Marcel Hess, Image analyst from the
Technische Universität Dortmund, via 'Vice'.
The team believes the strangely reflective rocks
were the result of the impact that formed the
craters near where the rocks were found.
The authors of the study believe a number of factors
could explain the rocks' reflective quality, including
the microscopic structure of the rocks themselves.
They theorize that the static properties of
a specific kind of lunar dust or the moon's
magnetic fields could also play a role.
'Vice' reports that the Reiner Gamma region,
where the anomalous rocks were discovered,
is a known hotspot for magnetic activity.
Researchers hope that NASA's upcoming Lunar Vertex
mission, which will collect samples from the
Reimer Gamma region, will help unravel the mystery.