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