The moon was once very dry until nearly a decade in the past when a series of discoveries indicated that our closest celestial neighbor had traces of water trapped on Earth.
Paris:
There may be more water on the moon than previously thought, according to two studies published on Monday, raising the exciting possibility that astronauts on future space missions could find refreshments - and possibly fuel - on the moon's surface.
The moon was once very dry until nearly a decade in the past when a series of discoveries indicated that our closest celestial neighbor had traces of water trapped on Earth.
Previous research found indications of the presence of water by wiping the surface - but these were unable to distinguish between water (H2O) and hydroxyls, a molecule made up of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom.
But a new study provides additional chemical evidence that the moon carries water molecules, even in sunlit regions.
Using data from the Stratospheric Observatory of Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the researchers scanned the surface of the Moon with a more accurate wavelength than was used before - six microns instead of three.
This allowed them "unequivocally" to discern the spectral signature of molecular water, said co-author Casey Honeyball, of the Hawaiian Institute of Geophysics and Planetics.
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