Moon may contain much more water than previously thought, scientists discover
- One new study shows water on sunlit part of moon for first time, while another shows billions of tiny craters where ice could be trapped
- Findings suggest astronauts could find refreshment and even fuel on lunar surface in future
There may be far more water on the moon than previously thought, according to two studies published on Monday, raising the tantalising prospect that astronauts on future space missions could find refreshment – and maybe even fuel – on the lunar surface.
The Moon was believed to be bone dry until around a decade ago when a series of findings suggested that our nearest celestial neighbour has traces of water trapped in the surface.
Two new studies published in Nature Astronomy on Monday suggest there could be much more water than previously thought, including ice stored in permanently shadowed “cold traps” at lunar polar regions.
Previous research has found indications of water by scanning the surface – but these were unable to distinguish between water and hydroxyl, a molecule made up of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom.
But a new study provides further chemical proof that the moon holds molecular water, even in sunlit areas.