"I think we need to continue to evaluate whether the Moon is usable for astronomy or not," said Paul Spudis of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. "And finally we need to fill in the missing pieces of knowledge and specifically we need to characterize this dust levitation and find out-does this occur and what the real magnitude of the effect is."

Scientists are also considering whether lunar-based astrophysics is better than orbiting instruments, said Harley Thronson, a chief scientist for exploration at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

"Free space might be more suitable for some types of astronomy, and the surface of the Moon may be more suitable for others," Thronson said.