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The presence of ice in the permanently the shadowed craters around the Moon’s poles have long been known. However, the researchers weren’t sure which hydration “Molecular” water (H2O) was detected in the sunlit areas of the satellite. or hydroxyl, a molecule that is a hydrogen atom before becoming water (OH). On October 26, 2020, NASA confirmed that the liquid was indeed water.
“We had indications that H2O – the familiar water we know – may be present on the sunny side of the moon,” said Paul Hertz, director of Astrophysics at NASA. “Now we know it’s there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions about resources relevant to deep space exploration. “
The discovery was made using data collected by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). The modified Boeing 747, which can fly its large telescope altitudes up to 45,000 feet, allows researchers to clearly observe space objects. Water molecules – detected using a special infrared camera capable of perceptive between the wavelengths of H2O and OH – were found in the Clavius crater. Located in the southern hemisphere of the Moon, the large crater can be clearly seen from Earth.
(Credit: NASA / Daniel Rutter)
However, before you start packing, keep in mind that water concentration it is extremely low: 100 to 412 parts per million. To put it inside perspective, the Sahara desert has about 100 times more water! “It’s not about puddles of water, but rather water molecules that are so dispersed that they don’t form ice or liquid water,” said NASA researcher Casey Honniball who led the study. Even if not enough to sustain humans, the discovery is significant because water is a rare and precious resource in deep space.
The scientists hypothesize that the H2O molecules may have been deposited by the tiny ones meteorites which are continuously bombing the surface of the Moon. Another plausible The explanation involves a multi-step process in which the Sun’s solar wind carries hydrogen to the Moon, which then reacts with the oxygen-carrying minerals in the soil to create hydroxyl. This hydroxyl could later be transformed into water by micrometeorites’ radiation.
Also disconcerting it’s like water comes out evaporation. The liquid could be trapped in tiny bead-like structures in the soil that form from the intense heat generated from the impacts of micrometeorites. Alternatively, H2O molecules can be hidden within the lunar and soil grains repaired from the sun.
“Without a thickness atmosphere, the water on the sunlit lunar surface should be dispersed into space, “said Honniball.” Yet somehow we’re seeing it. Something is generating the water and something has to trap it there. “
NASA plans to conduct follow-up missions to determine how widespread the water is on the lunar surface. The findings will allow the US space agency to find the perfect landing for its Artemis mission that will bring the first woman and next man to explore the Moon more. widely in 2024.
Resources: Space.com, NASA.gov
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