The Sun has solar storms which can greatly affect planets and satellites that have thin atmospheres. The solar storms can be deadly, which so far has spared much of the Earth because of its thick atmosphere. Solar storms could trigger the soil on the Moon's poles as well.
These power solar storms can produce sparks on the lunar surface. These sparks are powerful enough to vaporize and melt the soil. It is that powerful that it is said to be the equivalent of an asteroid strike.
The moon doesn't have an atmosphere like the Earth does. This leaves its surface to be open to many forces in space. One of those forces are solar storms. These solar storms can't be felt much on Earth because of the thick atmosphere. However, the Moon doesn't have the same protection that the Earth has.
The Moon's surface has largely been tended by asteroids. These asteroids would melt much of the soil and rocks. These rocks are called regolith. On the dark side of the Moon, this same effect is being done by solar storms, as found by the research done by Andrew Jordan from the University of New Hamsphire in Durham.
The Sun regularly have solar flares and massive coronas coming from its surface. These activities are highly charged with much particles that are sent out into space, according to NASA. These particles are made up of ions and electrons, and they could have much impact on unprotected surfaces.
A study by Jordan and his team in 2014 has found that the regolith on the Moon's permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) could store up these charged particles. These stored charged particles would build up on the regolith. Once enough of these particles have been stored, the regolith then release them in what would like a lightning strike, as Science Daily reports.
Timothy Stubbs of the Goddard Space Flight Center and co-author of the study has said that such incidences aren't really new in space. These can happen on surfaces that are open to radiation, and can affect even spacecraft as well. The study would focus next on whether such phenomenon can happen in other parts of the Moon.
Space can have much unusual activities. Solar storms could trigger soil on the Moon's poles. A report has also found a supposed alien antenna array on the Moon.
