Water Seen Hopping Around the Surface of the Moon

Water molecules frozen on the Moon hop around the lunar surface each day, according to new research based on data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Small quantities of water, found on tiny grains of the lunar surface, are heated by sunlight near noon each lunar day. This process drives molecules of water to migrate into the shade of neighboring grains, where they freeze once again.

This finding is the latest in a series of recent discoveries showing how water is more common on the lunar surface than previously believed, aiding future explorations of the Solar System.

“These results aid in understanding the lunar water cycle and will ultimately help us learn about accessibility of water that can be used by humans in future missions to the Moon. A source of water on the Moon could help make future crewed missions more sustainable and affordable. Lunar water can potentially be used by humans to make fuel or to use for radiation shielding or thermal management; if these materials do not need to be launched from Earth, that makes these future missions more affordable,” said Amanda Hendrix, senior scientist from the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

Montes Agricola on the surface of the Moon, in a photo taken by the astronauts of Apollo 15. Image credit: NASA

The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) instrument aboard LRO produced a far-ultraviolet spectrograph to measure the presence of water as it…