The lunar surface allows a unique way forward in cosmology, to go beyond current limits. The far side provides an unexcelled radio-quiet environment for probing the dark ages via 21 cm interferometry to seek elusive clues on the nature of the infinitesimal fluctuations that seeded galaxy formation. Far-infrared telescopes in cold and dark lunar polar craters will probe back to the first months of the Big Bang and study associated spectral distortions in the CMB. Optical and IR megatelescopes will image the first star clusters in the Universe and seek biosignatures in the atmospheres of unprecedented numbers of nearby habitable zone exoplanets. The goals are compelling and a stable lunar platform will enable construction of telescopes that can access trillions of modes in the sky, providing the key to exploration of our cosmic origins. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades’.

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宇宙学的极限：月球的作用

月球表面允许在宇宙学中以独特的方式前进，超越当前的限制。远端提供了一个无与伦比的无线电静默环境，通过 21 厘米干涉测量法探测黑暗时代，以寻找有关导致星系形成的无穷小波动性质的难以捉摸的线索。冷暗月球极地陨石坑中的远红外望远镜将探测大爆炸的最初几个月，并研究 CMB 中相关的光谱畸变。光学和红外巨型望远镜将对宇宙中的第一个星团进行成像，并在数量空前的附近宜居带系外行星的大气中寻找生物特征。目标是令人信服的，一个稳定的月球平台将能够建造可以访问天空中数万亿模式的望远镜，为探索我们的宇宙起源提供关键。