Scientists say they have detected the presence of water in tiny glass beads scattered across the Moon, suggesting the lunar surface may contain this valuable resource for future human activity.
The Moon was long thought to be dry, but over the past few decades, several missions have shown that there is water on the surface and within minerals.
Analysis of lunar soil samples obtained by China’s Chang’e 5 robotic mission in 2020 showed that glass spheres where rock melted and cooled contained water molecules formed by the solar wind hitting the moon, scientists reported Monday. Surface of the Moon.
”The moon is constantly bombarded by impact particles such as micrometeoroids and large meteoroids, which produce impact glass beads during high-energy thermal bursts,” said Hu Sen, a planetary scientist at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The study was published by the co-authors in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles, primarily protons and electrons, emitted outward from the corona (the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere) and permeating the Solar System.
“The water produced by the solar wind is formed by the reaction of solar hydrogen with oxygen on the surface of lunar glass spheres, and these spheres act as water sponges,” Hu said.
For future lunar exploration, including the establishment of potential long-term lunar bases with astronauts, water will be critical not only as drinking water, but also as a fuel component.
The Moon lacks liquid water, a hallmark of Earth. But it is believed to contain significant amounts of water on its surface, both in permanently shaded areas and in ice embedded in minerals.
“Water is the most sought-after resource for sustainable exploration of planetary surfaces. Understanding how water is generated, stored and replenished near the lunar surface will be useful for future researchers to extract and use water for research,” Hu said.
Researchers see hope in collecting water from glass beads, perhaps by releasing steam through a heating process and then turning it into a liquid through condensation.
A space capsule carrying soil samples to Earth has landed in the Inner Mongolia region of northern China.
Hu said the Chang’e 5 mission collected about 3.8 pounds (1.7 kg) of soil containing 32 glass beads tens to hundreds of micrometers wide, and a small amount of soil provided for this study was examined in the study . .
Studies have shown that the water content of glass beads reaches approximately 2000 parts per million by weight. Hu said he believes such impact glass beads are a common component of lunar soil, found throughout the globe and evenly distributed.
Post time: Oct-10-2024