{"id":2329,"date":"2020-10-27T05:57:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T05:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/odiannews.com\/en\/?p=2329"},"modified":"2020-10-27T05:57:01","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T05:57:01","slug":"nasa-confirms-water-on-moon-surface-for-1st-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/odiannews.com\/en\/2329\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Confirms Water On Moon Surface For 1st Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington,27\/10 : <\/strong>Water on Moon could be more easily accessible than previously thought as NASA on Monday said it found traces of water on a sunlit surface of the Moon for the first time . The discovery was made using Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Centre. \u201cWe confirmed water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the 1st time using @SOFIAtelescope,\u201d NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted . The results published in the journal Nature Astronomy suggests that the water may be delivered by tiny meteorite impact, or formed by the interaction of energetic particles ejected from the Sun . The finding furthers the case that water is not limited to Moon\u2019s cold shadowed regions and may be distributed across the lunar surface. \u201cWe don\u2019t know yet if we can use it as a resource, but learning about water on the Moon is key for our #Artemis exploration plans,\u201d Bridenstine said . SOFIA detected water molecules (H2O) in Clavius Crater, one of the largest craters visible from Earth, located in the Moon\u2019s southern hemisphere . Previous observations of the Moon\u2019s surface detected some form of hydrogen, but were unable to distinguish between water and its close chemical relative, hydroxyl (OH) . from this location reveal water in concentrations of 100 to 412 parts per million \u2014 roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce bottle of water \u2014 trapped in a cubic meter of soil spread across the lunar surface . We had indications that H2O \u2014 the familiar water we know \u2014 might be present on the sunlit side of the Moon,\u201d said Paul Hertz, director of the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington . \u201cNow we know it is there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions about resources relevant for deep space exploration.\u201d This new discovery comes as NASA prepares to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024. NASA is aiming to return humans to Moon in preparation of its next giant leap \u2014 human exploration of Mars as early as the 2030s .\u00a0 Follow-up observation by SOFIA will help scientists explore how Moon\u2019s water is created and stored . As the world\u2019s largest airborne observatory, SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft that flies high in the atmosphere to provide its nearly nine-foot telescope with a clear view of the universe and objects in our solar system .\u00a0 Flying above 99 per cent of the atmosphere\u2019s obscuring water vapour, SOFIA observes in infrared wavelengths and can detect phenomena impossible to see with visible light . SOFIA\u2019s results build on years of previous research examining the presence of water on the Moon. When the Apollo astronauts first returned from the Moon in 1969, it was thought to be completely dry . Orbital and impactor missions over the past 20 years, such as NASA\u2019s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, confirmed ice in permanently shadowed craters around the Moon\u2019s poles . Meanwhile, several spacecraft \u2014 including the Cassini mission and Deep Impact comet mission, as well as the Indian Space Research Organization\u2019s Chandrayaan-1 mission \u2014 and NASA\u2019s ground-based Infrared Telescope Facility, looked broadly across the lunar surface and found evidence of hydration in sunnier regions.<\/p>\n

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? ICYMI… using our @SOFIATelescope<\/a>, we found water on the Moon’s sunlit surface for the first time. Scientists think the water could be stored inside glass beadlike structures within the soil that can be smaller than the tip of a pencil. A recap: https:\/\/t.co\/lCDDp7pbcl<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/d3CRe96LDm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NASA (@NASA) October 26, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n