Water Found in Sunlight and Shadow Parts of the Moon

Hello ATS,

I'm very surprised that no one posted a thread on this important discovery that there's significant water deposits on the Moon; not water-ice but actual WATER.. I first noticed the headline this morning but I was too busy so I couldn't post it; I was sure that someone else would by the time I was able to anyway. Lo and behold, I check ATS only yo see that nothing has been posted concerning this topic. Nothing but political threads. UGH!

The first new whiff of lunar water emerged from data gathered by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This modified Boeing 747SP jet provides its 2.7-meter telescope a view above 99 percent of the atmosphere’s obscuring water vapor—a unique capability that allows agile observations in infrared without the use of space-based facilities.

In late August 2018 a team led by Casey Honniball, a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, used infrared instruments onboard SOFIA to study the sunlit lunar surface. The observations, which spanned a mere 10 minutes, focused on a region at high southern latitudes near the moon’s large crater Clavius, and they revealed a strong infrared emission at a wavelength of six microns (µm) from the crater and the surrounding landscape. Warmed by the sun, something on the lunar surface was reemitting the absorbed radiation just as molecular water—plain H2O—would.

This is big news, ATS! With NASA about to return to the Moon in 2024 along with other Space agencies from worldwide, this discovery could be a real game changer. Not just for sustaining human life either but also for rocket fuel; there could be a fuel depot setup on the Moon to sustain long distance trips into the solar system. The possibilities are endless with a supply of water on the Moon so I won't go into all of the details but this is exciting news! What say you, ATS?

www.scientificamerican.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Anytime you hear water ... its about getting more funding for missions. Its a false positive. Big news is confirming it. Not speculating it. I'll wait till they have a rover there.

originally posted by: lostbook
Hello ATS,
not water-ice but actual WATER..

Not liquid water, if that's what you mean.

originally posted by: seedofchucky
a reply to: lostbook

Anytime you hear water ... its about getting more funding for missions. Its a false positive. Big news is confirming it. Not speculating it. I'll wait till they have a rover there.

No worries, Nestle is already headed to the moon.

My question is why has this not been seen before now? Time to fly through the radiation belt again to check it out and prove it?

originally posted by: lostbook
Hello ATS,

I'm very surprised that no one posted a thread on this important discovery that there's significant water deposits on the Moon; not water-ice but actual WATER.. I first noticed the headline this morning but I was too busy so I couldn't post it; I was sure that someone else would by the time I was able to anyway. Lo and behold, I check ATS only yo see that nothing has been posted concerning this topic. Nothing but political threads. UGH!

The first new whiff of lunar water emerged from data gathered by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This modified Boeing 747SP jet provides its 2.7-meter telescope a view above 99 percent of the atmosphere’s obscuring water vapor—a unique capability that allows agile observations in infrared without the use of space-based facilities.

In late August 2018 a team led by Casey Honniball, a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, used infrared instruments onboard SOFIA to study the sunlit lunar surface. The observations, which spanned a mere 10 minutes, focused on a region at high southern latitudes near the moon’s large crater Clavius, and they revealed a strong infrared emission at a wavelength of six microns (µm) from the crater and the surrounding landscape. Warmed by the sun, something on the lunar surface was reemitting the absorbed radiation just as molecular water—plain H2O—would.

This is big news, ATS! With NASA about to return to the Moon in 2024 along with other Space agencies from worldwide, this discovery could be a real game changer. Not just for sustaining human life either but also for rocket fuel; there could be a fuel depot setup on the Moon to sustain long distance trips into the solar system. The possibilities are endless with a supply of water on the Moon so I won't go into all of the details but this is exciting news! What say you, ATS?

www.scientificamerican.com...

Yes, that does open up all kinds of possibilities. and yes we need a permanent base on the Moon and a water source definitely makes that more feasible. Going to have to read the whole article and see what it says

from the article

Hayne adds, however, that in situ sampling by robots or astronauts is required to properly assess their actual ice content. “What is really exciting about the micro cold traps is that they are much more accessible, which could enable more efficient extraction and utilization for both science and exploration purposes,” he says. Indeed, this proliferation of tiny potential ice reservoirs could be much more accessible to future missions, Hayne says, because they exist in areas where a sunlight-bathed astronaut could comfortably and safely use a tool to reach into a dangerously cold shadow to dig out any ice.

Considering it's potentially over a wide area, it could potentially be extracted for a base and/or other uses. Imagine robotic refineries making and storing fuel for future exploration like a Mars expedition. But before that, it leads to a serious challenge for a base and mining the moon to make it profitable for further exploration of just the Moon itself.

a reply to: lostbook

This has been known since 1978 and discovered again September 24, 2009.
Clavius crater - Clavius Base, the site of a lunar administrative facility in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This is about gathering Moon (mining) interest...

NASA is launching a 4G mobile network on the moon

✅ NASA has granted Nokia $14.1 million to build the first-ever 4G mobile network on the moon.
✅ Under its Artemis Accords program, NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon and a “sustainable” human presence by 2028.
✅ Nokia’s 4G network will allow astronauts to carry out a number of activities including making voice and video calls.

a reply to: lostbook

Cant wait for the bottled moon water. We need to think of a name and get the ball rolling.

originally posted by: boogiegk
My question is why has this not been seen before now?

Because there's nothing to see. The water is trapped in rock and glass and frozen beneath the surface.

ETA: Looks like I effed up the formatting. My response below is to your “we need a permanent base on the moon”
comment.

originally posted by: putnam6

originally posted by: lostbook
Hello ATS,

I'm very surprised that no one posted a thread on this important discovery that there's significant water deposits on the Moon; not water-ice but actual WATER.. I first noticed the headline this morning but I was too busy so I couldn't post it; I was sure that someone else would by the time I was able to anyway. Lo and behold, I check ATS only yo see that nothing has been posted concerning this topic. Nothing but political threads. UGH!

The first new whiff of lunar water emerged from data gathered by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This modified Boeing 747SP jet provides its 2.7-meter telescope a view above 99 percent of the atmosphere’s obscuring water vapor—a unique capability that allows agile observations in infrared without the use of space-based facilities.

In late August 2018 a team led by Casey Honniball, a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, used infrared instruments onboard SOFIA to study the sunlit lunar surface. The observations, which spanned a mere 10 minutes, focused on a region at high southern latitudes near the moon’s large crater Clavius, and they revealed a strong infrared emission at a wavelength of six microns (µm) from the crater and the surrounding landscape. Warmed by the sun, something on the lunar surface was reemitting the absorbed radiation just as molecular water—plain H2O—would.

...and yes we need a permanent base on the Moon...

Why? Sometimes I think about the other things we could do with the astronomical (pun intended) amount of money we spend and will spend on going to the moon. All of the hungry people that could be fed, houses built for them...rebuild places devastated by natural disasters...or hell, just keep the damn highways free of pot holes. You know? Why do we need to keep going back? Why is that more important than building communities in places where hunger and disease are the norm?

edit on 26-10-2020 by KansasGirl because: (no reason given)

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance

originally posted by: boogiegk
My question is why has this not been seen before now?

Because there's nothing to see. The water is trapped in rock and glass and frozen beneath the surface.

And, the article calls it “tiny potential ice reservoirs” and “micro cold traps.” I especially like the word “potential.” Meaning, it’s not even a sure thing, these “tiny potential ice reservoirs.”

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance

originally posted by: lostbook
Hello ATS,
not water-ice but actual WATER..

Not liquid water, if that's what you mean.

Just going by what the headline says. Upon further reading it does clarify this water as being trapped inbetween grains of dust or stored in naturally occurring volcanic glass.

“We are unaware of any other material reasonable for the Moon that exhibits a single spectral feature at 6 µm other than H2O,” Honniball and her fellow researchers report in their new paper. The authors suggest that the putative water is most likely stored in naturally occurring volcanic glass or sandwiched between microscopic grains of rock dust. Either scenario could provide shielding from the extreme temperatures and near-vacuum conditions on the moon’s surface, allowing the water to persist. As to how it got there in the first place, no one is certain, but the leading explanation is that the water could have formed from free oxygen and hydrogen liberated from lunar rocks by micrometeorite impacts.

So yeah, it would be a chore to extract it for use but this is exciting nonetheless. Even if NASA is just making this announcement to gain more funding, we commoners will benefit; whether it be from the technologies developed for a return to the Moon or just the plain old industry(ies) developed: tourism, mining, recreation, sports, medical, entertainment, communication, and on and on.

No matter the impetus, it's good to see the PTB getting off their arses when it comes to Space industry/ development.

originally posted by: dragonridr
a reply to: lostbook

Cant wait for the bottled moon water. We need to think of a name and get the ball rolling.

We could call it "Lost in Space" water.

originally posted by: boogiegk
My question is why has this not been seen before now? Time to fly through the radiation belt again to check it out and prove it?

Probably because they never went to the moon in the first place of course.

originally posted by: EndtheMadnessNow
a reply to: lostbook

This has been known since 1978 and discovered again September 24, 2009.
Clavius crater - Clavius Base, the site of a lunar administrative facility in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This is about gathering Moon (mining) interest...

NASA is launching a 4G mobile network on the moon

✅ NASA has granted Nokia $14.1 million to build the first-ever 4G mobile network on the moon.
✅ Under its Artemis Accords program, NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon and a “sustainable” human presence by 2028.
✅ Nokia’s 4G network will allow astronauts to carry out a number of activities including making voice and video calls.

Well, yeah the Moon aliens struck a deal to break up their service provider monopoly, and struck a deal with an Earth company. They can now enjoy more competitive pricing.

The US government is planning to collapse the current moon regime to as the first step to bringing Grade A Democracy to space.

originally posted by: lostbook

originally posted by: dragonridr
a reply to: lostbook

Cant wait for the bottled moon water. We need to think of a name and get the ball rolling.

We could call it "Lost in Space" water.

Moon Juice.

Has a nice ring to it.

The a reply to: dragonridr

I wonder if the organism in the water will be
compatible with human bodies.

Makes for a good start for a sci-fi movie.

originally posted by: KansasGirl
ETA: Looks like I effed up the formatting. My response below is to your “we need a permanent base on the moon”
comment.

originally posted by: putnam6

originally posted by: lostbook
Hello ATS,

I'm very surprised that no one posted a thread on this important discovery that there's significant water deposits on the Moon; not water-ice but actual WATER.. I first noticed the headline this morning but I was too busy so I couldn't post it; I was sure that someone else would by the time I was able to anyway. Lo and behold, I check ATS only yo see that nothing has been posted concerning this topic. Nothing but political threads. UGH!

The first new whiff of lunar water emerged from data gathered by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This modified Boeing 747SP jet provides its 2.7-meter telescope a view above 99 percent of the atmosphere’s obscuring water vapor—a unique capability that allows agile observations in infrared without the use of space-based facilities.

In late August 2018 a team led by Casey Honniball, a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, used infrared instruments onboard SOFIA to study the sunlit lunar surface. The observations, which spanned a mere 10 minutes, focused on a region at high southern latitudes near the moon’s large crater Clavius, and they revealed a strong infrared emission at a wavelength of six microns (µm) from the crater and the surrounding landscape. Warmed by the sun, something on the lunar surface was reemitting the absorbed radiation just as molecular water—plain H2O—would.

...and yes we need a permanent base on the Moon...

Why? Sometimes I think about the other things we could do with the astronomical (pun intended) amount of money we spend and will spend on going to the moon. All of the hungry people that could be fed, houses built for them...rebuild places devastated by natural disasters...or hell, just keep the damn highways free of pot holes. You know? Why do we need to keep going back? Why is that more important than building communities in places where hunger and disease are the norm?

I hear you and I get the sentiment too, but do we ever do that stuff? After all, it's been 40 plus years both parties have had Presidents the congress and the senate, haven't been back to the moon. We still got hunger and potholes etc. Besides, we ought to be able to do both we won't but we ought to be able to do those things. Think sometimes implementing things here on earth is more difficult to do than landing on the moon again. On top of that, it will never get approved for anyway unless it's a Republican House-Senate and White House. Regardless we are 10-15 years from that even being possible

We should be able to feed the hungry regardless, it's just everything the government does gets buried in bureaucracy and red tape, and it's inefficient as hell. Got to get or make corporations participate or a simpler more accessible food stamp program even. Not having in school attendance has severely curtailed what is a decent attempt at getting kids breakfast and lunch daily.

edit on 26-10-2020 by putnam6 because: (no reason given)

I'm not seeing the big deal. Water is just a compound made of hydrogen and oxygen, two of the most abundant elements in the universe. These elements will combine when they come in contact. Water should be everywhere in the Solar system, whether it's ice, water, vapor or steam.

Water will be on the Moon, Mars, Venus, asteroids, gas giants, etc.

originally posted by: 1010set

originally posted by: lostbook

originally posted by: dragonridr
a reply to: lostbook

Cant wait for the bottled moon water. We need to think of a name and get the ball rolling.

We could call it "Lost in Space" water.

Moon Juice.

Has a nice ring to it.

AquaLuna