WATER IN THE MOON

26 Jan WATER IN THE MOON

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared physical science (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the primary time, water on the sunstruck surface of the Moon. This discovery indicates that water is also distributed across the satellite surface, and not restricted to cold, shadowy places.

SOFIA has detected water molecules (H2O) in Clavius Crater, one amongst the most important craters visible from Earth, settled within the Moon’s southern hemisphere. Previous observations of the Moon’s surface detected some sort of hydrogen, however were unable to differentiate between water and its shut chemical relative, group (OH). information from this location reveal water in concentrations of one hundred to 412 elements per million – roughly love a 12-ounce bottle of water – cornered in an exceedingly cubic metre of soil unfold across the satellite surface. The results are published in the most recent issue of Nature Astronomy.

“We had indications that H2O – the acquainted water we all know – may well be gift on the sunstruck aspect of the Moon,” same Paul Hertz, director of the astronomy Division within the Science Mission board at National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters in Washington. “Now we know it’s there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions on resources relevant for region exploration.”

As a comparison, the Sahara desert has one hundred times the quantity of water than what Serdica detected within the satellite soil. Despite the tiny amounts, the invention raises new questions on how water is formed and the way it persists on the harsh, close lunar surface.

Water could be a precious resource in region and a key ingredient of life as we all know it. whether or not the water Serdica found is well accessible to be used as a resource remains to be determined. beneath NASA’s Artemis program, the agency is raring to be told all it will about the presence of water on the Moon prior to of causation the primary woman and next man to the satellite surface in 2024 and establishing a property human presence there by the top of the decade.