---
title: "Weird Flashes Keep Appearing on the Moon and Scientists Don’t Know Why"
description: "Several times a week, short bursts of light appear on the surface of the Moon. Scientists have only been able to guess as to why the phenomenon occurs."
date: "2019-05-31"
modified: "2019-05-31"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/flashes-moon-scientists"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "ESA"
  - "lunar base"
  - "moon"
  - "the digest"
---

# Weird Flashes Keep Appearing on the Moon and Scientists Don’t Know Why

![Several times a week, short bursts of light appear on the surface of the Moon. Scientists have only been able to guess as to why the phenomenon occurs.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/flashes-moon-scientists.png>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA/JPL/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Strange Flashes

Several times a week, short bursts of light appear on the surface of the Moon — and so far, scientists have only been able to guess as to why. But a team of German astronomers have a new theory, and it could provide crucial information for humans who want to settle the Moon.

"Seismic activities were also observed on the moon," said Hakan Kayal, professor of space technology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in Germany [in a statement](<https://phys.org/news/2019-05-moon.html>). "When the surface moves, gases that reflect sunlight could escape from the interior of the moon. This would explain the luminous phenomena, some of which last for hours."

## Scanning the Skies

The strange flashes were actually first observed in the 1950s, but have received little attention from the world of science. But the team of JMU wants to change that with their newly built lunar telescope in southern Spain that started scanning the night sky in April.

Two cameras watch for the strange flashes at night. If both see the same flash, they take a series of photos and videos. But the software for their new telescope still needs a bit of work. Kayal and his team are planning to upgrade it with a neural network that can filter out false positives like birds and airplanes.

## Street View

Understanding the phenomenon could be paramount to keep human settlers on the Moon safe.

"Anyone who wants to build a lunar base at some point must of course be familiar with the local conditions," said Kayal.

**READ MORE:** [Flashes on the moon](<https://phys.org/news/2019-05-moon.html>) \[Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg\]

**More on the Moon:** *[NASA is Using This Underwater Lab to Train Astronauts for the Moon](<https://futurism.com/nasa-underwater-habitat-moon>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)