Scientists find definitive evidence of water on the Moon

newatlas.com...

www.pnas.org...

A team of scientists led by Shuai Li of the University of Hawaii and Brown University claim to have found definitive evidence of water ice at both north and south poles of the Moon. Using data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter, the new discovery indicates that not only is water present on the Moon, but it is readily accessible from the surface.

Though the presence of water on the Moon has been speculated on for over a century and evidence of its existence goes back to the Apollo missions of the 1970s, there hasn't been much in the way of definitive proof of its presence. There were flashes of light from deep craters that might have been ice, but could also have been shiny rocks. There was also spectroscopic evidence that might have been water molecules, but could have been hydrates locked up in minerals. On top of that, if water was present, it might have been sealed in deep strata miles under the lunar surface.

Now the M3 data shows that there are ice deposits at the north and south pole. The southern ice is concentrated in craters that are perpetually shadow-bound, while the northern ice is distributed widely, yet sparsely. This conclusion is based on three specific spectral signatures from light reflected off the deposits. These not only showed the presence of water, but also the infrared band determined that it is ice rather than water or vapor.

Came across this. It's always cool reading about new discoveries in the solar system. It makes sense to me there'd be water on the moon at least in some form. I wouldn't be too surprised if it was more common in the solar system than we think. I don't think a lot of it will be useful to humanity but it's still cool it's there.

a reply to: dug88

Based on how water arrived on Earth, it seems it would be almost impossible that all other planetary bodies other than those with temperatures above 212f, would have some form of water.

nestle is gonna bottle it and sell it.

Scientific American says that the ice is on the surface. The lunar surface is close to a vacuum, and I was under the impression that ice in a vacuum ablates quickly and the solar wind can carry it away, like it does on comets. There must be some unknown mechanism that can keep ice on the surface. Perhaps it is mixed with salt and other minerals, or the gravity of the moon itself is able to hold the dissolving water down so it does not escape. Very strange.

originally posted by: charlyv
Scientific American says that the ice is on the surface. The lunar surface is close to a vacuum, and I was under the impression that ice in a vacuum ablates quickly and the solar wind can carry it away, like it does on comets. There must be some unknown mechanism that can keep ice on the surface. Perhaps it is mixed with salt and other minerals, or the gravity of the moon itself is able to hold the dissolving water down so it does not escape. Very strange.

The ice would be trapped in the ridges of those craters that never get any sunlight. Without sunlight, the temperature drops down to close to absolute zero. Enough to prevent Brownian motion, and the ice would just sit there.

a reply to: network dude

Ya I suppose it was sort of implied it had to be able to have temperatures that support water in a liquid or solid state.

originally posted by: wheresthebody
nestle is gonna bottle it and sell it.

Too bad it wasn't oil. Perhaps all the bombing could have moved to the moon.

originally posted by: charlyv
Scientific American says that the ice is on the surface. The lunar surface is close to a vacuum, and I was under the impression that ice in a vacuum ablates quickly and the solar wind can carry it away, like it does on comets. There must be some unknown mechanism that can keep ice on the surface. Perhaps it is mixed with salt and other minerals, or the gravity of the moon itself is able to hold the dissolving water down so it does not escape. Very strange.

The ices is in permanently-shadowed craters at the north and south poles. They're also the coldest places in the Solar System

Guess what - surprise surprise - Mercury also has water ice in its polar craters, despite being so close to the Sun. www.space.com...

a reply to: wildespace

a reply to: stormcell

Thanks both, that makes sense. Would not science love to have a chuck of that ice! It would have tales to tell.

a reply to: charlyv
To illustrate, the Shackleton crater on the lunar south pole:


www.youtube.com...

a reply to: wildespace

Wow, what an excellent video.
Wouldn't you just love to see a light shined down that crater floor.