According to a researcher, three cubic meters of lunar soil could hold evidence of a past advanced civilization in the Milky Way. A new paper will soon be published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
Pinault others. They propose to search the Moon for microscopic technosignatures, tiny man-made particles that may have traveled through interstellar space and been preserved in the lunar soil over billions of years. Image credit: Murayama, Osaka University.
Back in the 1990s, Ukrainian astronomer Oleksiy Arkhipov suggested the idea that microscopic debris from alien activity could accumulate on stable surfaces like the moon.
SETI Institute researcher Luis Pinault and team have further explored this concept in a recent study.
Dr. Pinault stated, “For billions of years, the moon has been silently gathering material from space, potentially including microscopic traces of ancient technology.”
He added, “Unlike Earth, the Moon’s lack of atmosphere, water flow, or active geology has preserved ancient materials, making it a stable archive of cosmic history.”
The study models how tiny particles as small as 0.3 microns can survive interstellar travel for millions to billions of years, accumulating on the moon’s surface.
These particles, dubbed “Arkhipov particles,” may hold clues to past civilizations in the galaxy. The researchers also discuss “Bracewell particles,” intentionally designed microdevices for interstellar exploration.
Searching for these particles requires advanced screening methods and detailed lab analysis.
SETI Institute Director Bill Diamond commented, “The search for technosignatures in the lunar soil is a novel and practical approach to seeking evidence of intelligence beyond our solar system.”
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Luis J. Pineau others. 2026. Micron-scale technosignatures: How one cubic meter of lunar regolith begins to limit the number of past technological civilizations in the galaxy. International Journal of Astrobiology in press. arXiv: 2606.24028
Source: www.sci.news
