Establishing a human base on the moon could be possible after Japanese scientists discovered the perfect location for a potential lunar colony.

The team at JAXA (Japan's space agency) have discovered a 50km-long and 100km-wide cave beneath the surface of the moon that could be turned into the first ever extra-terrestrial settlement.

They used a radar system on the Selenological and Engineering Explorer (Selene) probe to discover the cave, which they believe is the remains of a lava tube from when the moon was volcanically active.

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Settling inside a cave makes more sense than trying to establish a colony on the surface because astronauts will be sheltered from incoming radiation, not to mention small meteorites that regularly bombard the moon's surface.

The team also reckon that a covered base could provide more stable temperatures than the highs and lows experienced on the surface.

This particular chasm, located near an area of the moon called Marius Hills on the moon's near side, may also contain water or ice deposits trapped in the rocks that could be mined for fuel.

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“We’ve known about these locations that were thought to be lava tubes … but their existence has not been confirmed until now,” said Junichi Haruyama, a senior researcher at Jaxa.

“The same stable and protected environment that would benefit future human explorers also makes them an enticing target for scientific study," he told the Guardian .

“Careful examination of their interiors could provide unique insights concerning the evolutionary history of the moon.”

There are no current plans to establish a base on the moon, but it's an enticing prospect for the scientific community.

In less than 25 years, up to 100 humans could have a permanent settlement on the moon, according to experts from the European Space Agency ( ESA ).

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Not only would we have 3D-printed buildings, but we could use melted ice for water and harvest crops in lunar soil.

There's even the potential for children to be born on the moon.

This was the message from Bernard Foing, an ambassador from the ESA's "Moon Village" scheme who was speaking at a European Planetary Congress meeting in Latvia last week.

He explained how early moon settlers would effectively colonise the rock and grow it organically - eventually having children and families on the moon.

Earth rise over moon surface viewed from Apollo 10 (
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Starting out with six or ten pioneers in 2030, made up of scientists, technicians and engineers, it could initially grow to 100 by 2040, he reckoned.

"In 2050, you could have a thousand and then... naturally you could envisage to have family," he said.

The idea was also raised of having a permanent lunar colony replace the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) which is due to be decommissioned in 2024.