NASA Confirms Water Molecules on Lunar Surface

Sep 25 2009, 6:00am CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Yesterday we reported that there is evidence of Water on the Moon. NASA has now detailed what has been found.
NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar regions of the moon. Instruments aboard three separate spacecraft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than predicted, but still relatively small. Hydroxyl, a molecule consisting of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, also was found in the lunar soil.
The confirmation of elevated water molecules and hydroxyl at these concentrations in the moon's polar regions raises new questions about its origin and effect on the mineralogy of the moon. Answers to these questions will be studied and debated for years to come.

"Water ice on the moon has been something of a holy grail for lunar scientists for a very long time," said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This surprising finding has come about through the ingenuity, perseverance and international cooperation between NASA and the India Space Research Organization."

"For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to water and hydroxyl-bearing materials," said Carle Pieters, M3's principal investigator from Brown University, Providence, R.I. "When we say 'water on the moon,' we are not talking about lakes, oceans or even puddles. Water on the moon means molecules of water and hydroxyl that interact with molecules of rock and dust specifically in the top millimeters of the moon's surface.

The water on the moon is not something you can actually drink, which of course sucks for manned moon bases.
More details in this Nasa report.

where to buy

Buy from Amazon

What Others Say about This

SSL Traffic Analysis Reveals What You Are Looking At On Google Maps

The general consensus is that https connections to web sites protect your data from being spied at by users in the same network. That’s why all major web services such as Facebook, Twitter or Google have started to enforce the use of https on their websi ...
Full article at: GHacks Technology News More like this 49 minutes ago

Alibaba-Yahoo! talks hit impasse: report

AFP - Alibaba's move to buy out Yahoo!'s stake in the Chinese Internet titan has tripped on the California firm's determination to sidestep taxes, a Dow Jones-owned technology news website reported on Tuesday. AllThingsD.com cited unnamed sources as sayi ...
Full article at: France 24 More like this 2 hours ago

Fort Collins' VanDyne SuperTurbo gets $8 million venture capital boost

The Denver Post's reporters and editors offer news, analysis and commentary on the latest business, real estate, tourism, gambling and technology news in Colorado. VanDyne SuperTurbo Inc. — a Fort Collins start-up with technology aimed at making auto and ...
Full article at: Denver Post More like this 2 hours ago

Don't miss ...

Technology News

Solar Powered Clothing: The Future of Mobile Charging...

Luigi Lugmayr
Luigi is the founding chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at ml@i4u.com. Luigi posts regularly on LuigiMe.com about his experience running I4U.