The photograph arrived with no explanation: lunar dust, a familiar horizon and, behind a ridge, something with the proportions of a service entrance. Not a glowing portal. Not an alien cathedral. A door. The kind of door that suggests somebody on the Moon has to take deliveries through the back.
NASA SAYS IT IS A SHADOW
We sent the image to three people who understand lunar photography. Two described compression artifacts and terrain. The third asked why we were emailing him at 2:14 a.m. NASA imagery contains countless hard-edged shadows, but this one has committed the additional offense of looking as though it should have a push bar.
At 800% magnification the “handle” becomes less convincing, while the alleged door becomes more pixelated. This has not helped either side.
ENLARGEMENT 7
WHO WOULD WORK THERE?
If the entrance is real, the staffing implications are considerable. There would need to be someone inside to complain about the thermostat, someone who knows where toner is kept and at least one employee who has been saying “they’re fixing the elevator next week” since 1974.
The official explanation remains geology. Our less official explanation remains facilities management. Until a lunar employee comes outside for lunch, both will have to coexist.