Earth news is a little disturbing these days. That is probably one of the reasons why the Internet pulled out all the stops to convey the collective excitement about the discovery of huge amounts of water on the moon.
This discovery could be useful for humans who want to leave Earth immediately and live on the moon. (We’re only half kidding).
While scientists had previously suspected that water was present in the moon’s shaded, cold parts – such as its poles, where it would have been born – a. Pair Of Studies Published in the journal Nature Astronomy on Monday and confirms that its solar regions also have large amounts of water.
Paul Hertz, director of the astrophysics department at the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said: “Our indications are that we know that the known water we know may be on the lunar side of the sun. Statement. “Now we know it’s there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises complex questions about what resources are needed for deep space exploration.”
Still Data on water In the darkness of the moon, the cold regions were always clear. Part of the challenge of finding water on the moon is that the Earth’s atmosphere, which contains a lot of steam water, interferes with Earth-based efforts to see water on the moon without interfering with the atmosphere. Space telescopes or very high-altitude telescopes can solve this problem. In this case, NASA used the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), an infrared observatory aboard a Boeing 747 aircraft, to observe from the air. Sophia’s figures strongly suggest that yes, there is water on the surface of the moon’s sun.
This is particularly unusual due to the temperature cycle on the moon: during the day the moon is 250 degrees Fahrenheit above the boiling point of water. So why isn’t it said that water spreads quickly? As stated in the study, the title “Sophia discovers molecular water on the sun and moon,“Scientists have detailed evidence that water is predicted to be trapped in naturally occurring mirrors on the moon’s solar regions. Being surrounded by mirrors means that the water’s heating and cooling cycles Since there is no atmosphere here and there is very little gravity, it is impossible for water to hang on its earth as it does on the earth.
The second study, entitled “Micro Cold Traps on the Moon“Lists all possible sites that are cold enough to keep ice frozen, and where water can be without getting stuck in the glass.
“Our results suggest that the water trapped on the moon’s poles may have spread more thoughtfully than before and may have been used as a source for future missions,” the authors said.
To bring this discovery into context, NASA says that the amount of water in the Sahara Desert is 100 times greater than what was found on the surface of the Moon.
Interestingly, it turns out that there is no shortage of potential places where water on the moon can be without getting stuck in the glass. According to the study, the moon’s south polar region could hold about 40,000 square kilometers of the moon’s surface with water ice.
These studies are changing the way scientists look at the moon. Maybe it’s more than a dark, dry and rocky place.
“Without a dense atmosphere, the water on the surface of the sun and moon should simply disappear from space,” said Casey Honibel, A.D. The main author of one of the studies, Said in a statement. “Still, we’re seeing it. Some are producing water, and some are bound to get stuck here.”
According to NASA, there are some ways that water can be hidden between “bead-like structures in the soil”, or “between the lunar grains of the moon and the” sunlight. “
So, what does all this mean for the lunar colony? Well, that doesn’t mean humans can get there once the weather changes. But it does mean that NASA astronauts may spend more time on the moon before they need to be rehabilitated.
“The presence of significant amounts of water on the lunar surface could help our international partners establish a viable base there in the context of NASA’s Artemis program,” said Avi Loeb, chairman of Harvard’s astronomy department. Told the salon by email. “This will be the first step in moving humanity to more distant destinations, such as Mars and beyond.”
Loeb added: “There is no doubt that our future lies in space, not only for national security and commercial gains, but also for scientific research aimed primarily at opening new distances to our civilization.”
