NASA finds moon craters filled with ice

I didn't see this here, yet. Did I miss it?

A US radar launched into orbit aboard an Indian spacecraft has detected craters filled with ice on the moon's north pole, NASA says.

The US space agency's Mini-SAR radar found more than 40 small craters ranging in diameter from 1.6 to 15 kilometres, each full of water ice.

''Although the total amount of ice depends on its thickness, it's estimated there could be at least 600 million tonnes of water ice,'' NASA said in a statement.

The finding came weeks after the US President, Barack Obama, halted US ambitions to return astronauts to the moon.

www.smh.com.au...

I mean, we already knew this, but I don't think we knew that it was THIS much. And they're making it sound like there are frozen ponds or lakes in the craters. That's how I'm interpreting it anyway...

This must be an update, because the date from the article is March 3rd, and it's only March 2nd here.

Good stuff. I believe water and even life are everywhere in the universe. More than we can imagine!

More sources:

NASA Discovers Massive Amounts of Ice on Moon

news.yahoo.com...

Tons and Tons of Ice Found on the Moon

www.foxnews.com...

Wow...that's a lot of ice...and on the moon? This is very interesting news, and I don't think I've heard it before. This discovery is certainly significant IMO...but why didn't they detect this before? I doubt so much ice on the moon could easily go undetected for so long.

reply to post by CHA0S

The ice is in deep craters near the north pole of the Moon. These are places where the sun don't shine...ever, very dark and very cold. We couldn't see into them before. The mini-SAR instrument is a radar device capable of sensing very small scale features and detecting the presence of water ice.
www.isro.org...

[edit on 3/2/2010 by Phage]

I find it ironic how the US sent astronauts to the moon... yet some of the most important moon discoveries have been made 40 years later with Indian Robots...

reply to post by Monts

You don't read too well do you?

The US space agency's Mini-SAR radar found more than 40 small craters ranging in diameter from 1.6 to 15 kilometres, each full of water ice.

There were six manned landings on the Moon. During each only a very small area was explored.

Originally posted by Monts
I find it ironic how the US sent astronauts to the moon... yet some of the most important moon discoveries have been made 40 years later with Indian Robots...

Well said Monts...but then again you know NASA:

Never/A/Straight/Answer

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Monts

 

You don't read too well do you?

Take a break PHAGE...have somone rub your temples for you. Sheesh.

How do they know its water ice?

From 500,000ft, I personally could not tell the difference between water ice and CO2 ice or any other frozen gas/liquid.

So, what capabilites does this SAR have that enable it to tell that this is actually H2O ice?>

reply to post by solarstorm


careful, last time I tried hushing Phage, a mod was all over me like a pedo at a wiggles concert...

and about the moon and your government... i really believe the moon will still get visitors.... us!
NASA and the messed up government just don't want you to know about it!

[edit on 2/3/10 by spearhead]

reply to post by spearhead

It can detect changes in polarization of the radar signal.

The radar uses the polarization properties of reflected radio waves to characterize surface properties. Results from the mapping showed deposits having radar characteristics similar to ice.

This information along with other recent (and not so recent) discoveries, makes it a very good bet that those very dark and very cold craters contain water ice.
www.satnews.com...

reply to post by Phage


nice... i think! i still believe ice is ice and what ever the properties the radar confirm, it can't be characterized until material samples are taken.

if there is the presence of frozen H2O, there must be the presence of oxygen and hydrogen.... thus giving reason for an atmosphere of some type?

but still not confirmed.... eh?

[edit on 2/3/10 by spearhead]

Hopefully this gets Washington's interest! We need to be out in space!

Could the water be harvested with out any danger to the Earth? Also I wonder how much more we are going to find should we investigate more, which we should.

reply to post by spearhead



Ice means there is something in there regardless. Whatever it melts into...chances are we can use it. I'm no expert on this just speculating.

[edit on 3-3-2010 by kyle43]

reply to post by spearhead

There is a very thin "atmosphere" on the Moon. But there is no oxygen and very little hydrogen in it.

The "atmosphere" is trillions of times thinner than Earth's. Laboratories would like to be able to create a vacuum that well.

[edit on 3/3/2010 by Phage]

reply to post by solarstorm


Hey, Phage kicks the butts of all the irrational people on this board. At least from what I've seen, he's a very smart dude, and he's just trying to deny ignorance. And he's good at it, too.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Monts

 

You don't read too well do you?

The US space agency's Mini-SAR radar found more than 40 small craters ranging in diameter from 1.6 to 15 kilometres, each full of water ice.

A US radar launched into orbit aboard an Indian spacecraft has detected craters filled with ice on the moon's north pole, NASA says.

I do read well... It is obviously US technology, otherwise it wouldn't be NASA reporting; It would be the Indian Space Agency.

I should have made clear that my point was that the mission is launched and controlled by the Indian space agency. I was finding the irony in the fact that the all powerful NASA can't even launch and control it's own missions, along with the fact that all of the most recent moon findings have been discovered through the Indian space agencies missions.

[edit on 3/3/1010 by Monts]

[edit on 3/3/1010 by Monts]

reply to post by Monts

You're kidding right?
lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov...
lcross.arc.nasa.gov...


India was launching Chandrayaan-1 and NASA (and the UK, and ESA, and Bulgaria) had an opportunity to put some instruments on board. They jumped at the chance. Makes sense to me.


[edit on 3/3/2010 by Phage]