Through the use of a telescope placed on a Boeing 747, it has been verified that there is indeed water on the moon. This discovery aligns with the findings of a separate study, which discovered the existence of "cold traps" where sunlight cannot penetrate, resulting in temperatures as low as 163 degrees below zero. The research affirms the crucial role that ice, in the form of water, will play in upcoming manned missions.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about water and the moon, their discovery and importance.
Water on the Moon
It has been officially confirmed that water exists on the Moon. In a NASA announcement, It has been revealed that our planet's natural satellite contains significant amounts of ice, which could prove invaluable for upcoming manned missions. Extensive research by scientists has revealed the presence of water not only in the large, frigid, deep craters located in the polar regions of the Moon, where the Lunar Prospect mission initially discovered water in the late 1990s, but also in smaller craters, shallower depressions within these same polar areas. These shallower depressions have the potential to maintain ice for thousands or even millions of years due to their cold enough temperatures.
After in-depth examination of the data collected by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a Boeing 747SP aircraft equipped with a 2,5 meter diameter reflecting telescope, the space agency's experts have reached this conclusion. Operating from Earth's stratosphere, SOFIA exceeds more than 99% of the planet's atmospheric layer, allowing you to gather invaluable information about the solar system that cannot be obtained using traditional ground-based telescopes.
According to the observatory's findings, one of the largest craters visible from Earth, known as Clavius, has been found to contain water molecules. This remarkable discovery coincides with research on the lunar atmosphere, which plays an important role in understanding these environments.
Conclusions from the discovery of water on the Moon
Conclusions drawn from SOFIA findings They align with those of a separate study, also published in the same scientific journal. In this study, a group of researchers identified "cold traps" within the permanently shadowed areas of the Moon, where temperatures could plummet to a staggering 163 degrees below zero. These small patches have the potential to serve as long-term reservoirs of water ice. However, the most surprising revelation is the accumulation estimated of these ultrafrigid zones at approximately 40.000 square kilometers of the lunar surface.
Over approximately 40.000 kilometers of the lunar surface, there are regions shrouded in darkness that have the potential to contain frozen water. In the southern hemisphere of the Moon, specifically in the Clavius crater, which is one of the largest craters visible from Earth, the observatory has detected water molecules. Previous studies of the lunar surface were able to identify the presence of hydrogen, but could not differentiate between water and its closely related compound, hydroxyl (OH). This discovery opens new avenues for understanding the equipment needed for future missions to the moon.
However, data obtained from this specific location has revealed that water exists in concentrations ranging between 100 and 412 parts per million. To put this in perspective, This amount is approximately equivalent to the volume of water contained in a 35 centimeter bottle, a little larger than a soda can, which is trapped inside a cubic meter of soil spread across the lunar surface. It should be noted that, in comparison, the Sahara Desert contains 100 times more water than that detected in the lunar soil by SOFIA, explains the space agency.
Water caused by the impact of meteorites
The recent discovery of water on the lunar surface, although present in small quantities, has prompted new research into the creation and preservation of water in that environment. It is worth noting, however, that the water molecules detected by the observatory are not in the form of pure ice, but exist in small deposits accumulated on the surface or trapped within crystals resulting from minor asteroid collisions on the Moon.
While India's Chandrayaan-1 probe had previously identified water ice in unlit areas of the lunar poles over a decade ago, this study now provides conclusive evidence that water molecules also exist in illuminated regions. Experts speculate that these molecules are the result of chemical reactions with hydroxyl triggered by the impact of small meteorites. The reasons behind the lack of previous missions to the moon.
The accessibility of the water discovered by SOFIA as a potential resource is still under investigation. This groundbreaking finding, the culmination of extensive research conducted over several years, has important implications for future manned missions to the satellite. These missions, planned within the framework of the Artemis program for the coming years, could be facilitated by the presence of water on the satellite.
Using the data collected by SOFIA, NASA has the potential to use it for the next human expeditions to the Moon, which are currently being developed under the Artemis project. Inspired by the goddess associated with the Moon and wildlife, who She is also the twin sister of the god Apollo, NASA has aptly named this new mission in her honor. With this initiative, the US agency intends to send astronauts to our planet's natural satellite again, which represents an important return after almost half a century.
In a groundbreaking announcement last spring, the space program revealed its ambitious plans. Not only does it aim to send the next man to the lunar surface, but it also aims to achieve an even more remarkable feat: establish a permanent base on the Moon. This lunar outpost will serve as a crucial launch point for future manned missions to Mars, which will take place in 2030.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the existence of water on the moon and its discovery.