Lunar water

SOFIA Finds More Water in the Moon's Southern Hemisphere

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, University, Clavius (crater), Camera, Technology, Program, Research, Christopher Clavius, Glass, Engineering, Universities Space Research Association, German Aerospace Center, Moretus, German, NASA, University of Stuttgart, Temperature, SOFIA, Geophysical Research Letters, Science, Goddard Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, Government, National, Water, Hydrogen, Unitary state, Aircraft, FORCAST, National academy, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Lunar water, Silicon, Lunar craters, Oxygen, VIPER, USRA, DLR, Telescope, Communications satellite, Lithium, Moon

This confirmation that water is indeed present outside of Permanently Shadowed Regions on the Moon's southern hemisphere allowed the researchers to begin decoding where this water comes from.

Key Points: 
  • This confirmation that water is indeed present outside of Permanently Shadowed Regions on the Moon's southern hemisphere allowed the researchers to begin decoding where this water comes from.
  • With its Faint Object infraRed CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST), SOFIA can look at 6.1-micron emission features from the Moon, a wavelength of emission unique to water.
  • And by flying above 99% of the water vapor in Earth's atmosphere, SOFIA can see what ground-based telescopes cannot.
  • The SOFIA observations provide an idea of how one form of water is distributed in sunlit regions, helping to place VIPER's future measurements into a broader context.

NASA's SOFIA Discovers Water on Sunlit Surface of Moon

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 26, 2020
Space science, Applied sciences, Planetary science, Lunar science, Moon, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, Micrometeorite, Infrared astronomy, Colonization of the Moon, Lunar water

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.
  • This discovery indicates that water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not limited to cold, shadowed places.
  • As a comparison, the Sahara desert has 100 times the amount of water than what SOFIA detected in the lunar soil.
  • Micrometeorites raining down on the lunar surface, carrying small amounts of water, could deposit the water on the lunar surface upon impact.

Meteoroid Strikes Eject Precious Water from Moon

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 15, 2019
Physical sciences, Chemistry, Phases of matter, Lunar water, Meteoroid, Impact event, Water

The findings will help scientists understand the history of lunar water a potential resource for sustaining long term operations on the Moon and human exploration of deep space.Models had predicted that meteoroid impacts could release water from the Moon as a vapor, but scientists hadn't yet observed the phenomenon.

Key Points: 
  • The findings will help scientists understand the history of lunar water a potential resource for sustaining long term operations on the Moon and human exploration of deep space.Models had predicted that meteoroid impacts could release water from the Moon as a vapor, but scientists hadn't yet observed the phenomenon.
  • There's evidence that the Moon has water (H2O) and hydroxyl (OH), a more reactive relative of H2O.
  • "But when the Moon passed through one of these meteoroid streams, enough vapor was ejected for us to detect it.
  • Meteoroid strikes can transport water both into and out of cold traps.