EXPLAINED: NASA Confirms Presence Of Water On Moon's Sunlit Surface; How Was Water Spotted & How Much Of It Is There?

On Monday, NASA announced the discovery of water on the sunlit side of the moon. The significant find could have a major impact on plans to form a lunar base.

NASA moon mission

New Delhi: Nasa on Monday announced that it has found traces of water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the very first time. "We confirmed water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the 1st time using @SOFIAtelescope," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted.

NEWS: We confirmed water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the 1st time using @SOFIAtelescope. We don’t know yet if we can use it as a resource, but learning about water on the Moon is key for our #Artemis exploration plans. Join the media telecon at https://t.co/vOGoSHt74c pic.twitter.com/7p2QopMhod

— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) October 26, 2020

ALSO READ| India Saved Rs 2,400 Cr Annually Through Use Of Renewable Energy: PM Modi India Energy Forum 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. Know more about the latest discovery

• The discovery was made using Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Centre. SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP aircraft that has been modified to carry a 2.7-meter (106-inch) reflecting telescope. As the airplane flies in the stratosphere, it allows astronomers to study the solar system in a better way as it above the earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere.
• With the infrared telescope, they were able to pick up the signature colour of water molecules
• Previously, some form of hydrogen was observed on the Moon's surface but scientists were unable to distinguish between water and its close chemical relative, hydroxyl (OH). “Prior to the SOFIA observations, we knew there was some kind of hydration. But we didn’t know how much, if any, was actually water molecules – like we drink every day – or something more like drain cleaner,” said Casey Honniball, the lead author of the study in the official statement.
• SOFIA detected water molecules (H2O) in Clavius Crater which is one of the largest craters on the moon even visible from Earth. The crate is located in the Moon's southern hemisphere.
• It was previously thought that water in the sunlit surface will evaporate but the finding indicates that water is not limited to Moon's cold shadowed regions and may be distributed across the lunar surface.
• An official statement by NASA says that water in concentrations of 100 to 412 parts per million trapped in a cubic meter of soil. This is about a 12-ounce bottle (which is roughly about 0.354 litre).
• The discovery could pave the way to NASA's plan in creating a lunar base.
• In 2009, NASA had found water crystals in a deep crater near the Moon's southern pole.