Finding water in the moon's crust, the scientists say, implies that the moon's rocks could have taken longer to crystallize than previously thought. The exact amounts of water present in these rocks, however, could vary in future measurements, depending on how they are calibrated.
Past moon water finds
Hui decided to analyze the Apollo rocks again following a suite of research results in recent years suggesting the moon is much wetter than previously thought, he said.
NASA's Clementine spacecraft found evidence of water ice after scanning the surface with radar in 1996, but follow-up observations with the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico suggested the spots where it found ice were in areas with too much sun for ice to survive. Instead of ice, later researchers chalked up the observations to piles of rubble.
NASA's Lunar Prospector found possible water in 1998 at both of the moon's poles, but the instrument was only able to detect the presence of hydrogen, not other elements.
Then in 2008, new lab work on Apollo lunar samples found hydrogen in lunar volcanic glasses.
Starting in September 2009, however, three spacecraft orbiting the moon found "unambiguous evidence" of water on the lunar surface. India's Chandrayaan-1 and NASA's Cassini and Deep Impact missions detected a hydrogen-oxygen chemical link — an indication of water or hydroxyl — through wavelengths of light reflected off the moon.
These findings were believed to represent only small amounts of water. Just two months later, in November 2009, however, scientists for the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission announced the spacecraft had found large deposits of ice at the moon's south pole.
Scientists then discovered a trove of ice in the south pole's Shackleton Crater in 2012. Based on the results, some groups say long-term human missions could live off the moon's water reserves while performing science, mining and other tasks on the moon.
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Add CommentIf I recall correctly, the moon is thought to be composed mostly of material that once formed the Earth's crust. How much water or hydrogen and oxygen was sequestered within the Earth's ancient crust - enough to account for the amount of hydroxyl found in moon rocks? If so, there'd be no mystery presented by the moon rock hydroxyl or conflict with established moon formation theory...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisElizabeth Howell and SPACE.com did not say what the alleged "process" is... or why the cataclysmic impact as described should have flung the water-forming element hydrogen away into space, unless all of the ejected material was broken down to the molecular level.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy personal thoughts are that we are solid into plurality of ideas on the origins of the Moon. The 'Trillion-to-one Hit-and-Run' construct is fascinating, but I do not think it is probable. I envision a teapot floating by right after that collision occurred.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps it is time to add, not prove mind you, but add to the discussion, the idea that the Moon is simply a dessicated relic (in comparison to what it used to be) Oort Cloud object which was trapped by the Earth's gravity. This object would have been rife with oxygen, water, hydrogen, nitrogen, salts, etc. All the things which are less commonly found near a star, and would have rained that elemental makeup down in substantial quantity onto the surface of the proto Earth, thereby accelerating the appearance of life very soon after Earth's formation.
Thereafter solar photons would have sputtered (solid or liquid to ion) and dessicated the remaining ice/water on the surface of the Moon into space, but in the mean time the water would tidally accrue on ONE side of the Moon facing the earth and eventually through friction, lock the water side of the Moon permanently facing the earth so that the facing ocean/silty (Mares) side is smooth in comparison to the far side which is craggy - and had no erosion in comparison.
And then we would have a thousand to one probability construct and would not have to look for teapots between Jupiter and Mars. So, you see - it is not that the Moon is similar to the Earth - rather it is the Earth possibly, which is similar to the Moon.
- TES
Doesn't work, the oxygen isotope ratio of the Moon is ALMOST exactly the same as the Earth's, so it originated in the same area of the solar nebula, most likely as a single body.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe question is just what conditions was the material that now makes up the Lunar crust subjected to? If it was limited heating then some water would have persisted. Given the isotopic and dynamical evidence for the collision theory IMHO we'll find that the material making up the crust simply wasn't so heated that all hydrogen was driven off, and there is plenty of oxygen, no issue explaining that.
In other words the issues are more with the details and not with the general big picture of the formation. There could be other variations we haven't quite worked out yet too. Perhaps there was already a decent sized satellite which was subsumed into the forming Moon, etc.
Изменилась форма Земли и изменились скорость вращения Земли вокруг своей оси и угловой наклон.Эти изменения нарушили равновесие в системе Земля-Луна и Луна приблизилась к Земле,попала в сферу тяготения Земли (не путать с притяжением).Не дойдя до точки Лагранжа она пролетела вокруг Земли создав на Земле апокалипсис а после этого обменявшись С Землей мощнейшими приливными воздействиями и метеоритными ударами,захватила часть земной атмосферы вместе с земными выбросами,сменила географические полюса(смену географических полюсов Луны доказали сотрудники парижского Института Физики Земли Mark Wieczorek and matthien Le Feuvere)одновременно с Землей и отошла от Земли.Это произойдет снова во время лунного затмения в северном полушарии.Форма Земли меняется смотрите в интернете картинки "Земля как картошка".Внимательно прочитайте то,что об этом написали библейские пророки.
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