NASA's Big Moon News: There's Water All Over the Place
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NASA's Big Moon News: There's Water All Over the Place:
NASA promised some "exciting" news about the Moon today, and we're pleased to report the space agency has delivered. As many of you correctly guessed, the discovery has to do with frozen water on the lunar surface. The new research, in addition to providing the best evidence to date of water ice on the Moon, suggests this valuable resource is scattered across the lunar surface, including in areas exposed to direct sunlight and in tiny pockets cast in permanent shade.
Two papers published today in Nature Astronomy are redefining what we know about the Moon and its ability to stock a precious natural resource: water. Scientists have long suspected that frozen water exists on the Moon, particularly at the poles, but the new research provides the most definitive evidence yet, owing to the detection of actual water molecules on the lunar surface. The new research also identifies a slew of shadowy pockets, known as cold traps, in which much of this frozen water could be hiding.
That water ice exists on the Moon is significant from a purely scientific perspective, but it's also important in terms of how it will influence future missions to the lunar surface. An important goal for the upcoming NASA Artemis missions will be to collect and retrieve water ice from the southern polar regions, which now seems more possible than ever. What's more, the apparent abundance of water on the Moon means it can be sourced locally, which is excellent news for future explorers or colonists.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.