The team of scientists from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville-USA, discover the sparkling grains of soil covering the lunar surface, and after investigation it turned out to contain a large amount of water to sustain human life. The findings are derived from a NASA satellite that crashed into the crater of the moon in 2009.
The collision caused the land surface of the moon scatters. The land was later known to contain high levels of ice. The particles of water in small quantities are also found in powder and rock in the outer layer of the month.
The team of scientists then analyzed soil samples from the moon collected by the Apollo missions (1963-1972), who initiated the NASA space mission to explore the moon. "The samples that contain water in the form of compounds called hydroxyl," said the scientist, Monday, October 15, 2012.
They make sure the water is produced on the surface of the moon, not from outer moon brought by comets or other piece of space debris. Formation process is influenced by a constant stream of charged particles of solar storms.
The analysis showed the soil samples from the moon contained hydrogen, the particles are the same as those found in solar storms. Particles were brought to the lunar surface by solar storms. The hydrogen then binds with oxygen to form hydroxyl, water-like compounds containing one atom of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen and stored in the lunar soil.
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| This image shows the ejecta plume created by the LCROSS Centaur upper stage rocket about 20 seconds after after impact Oct. 9, 2009. The recent findings by researchers from the University of Michigan imply that ice inside permanently shadowed polar craters on the Moon. (Picture from: http://www.thehindu.com/) |
"Hydroxyl widespread in soil samples from the moon, though not in the form of ice or liquid water that can be easily used by humans in the future," said Youxue Zhang, one of the researchers, as quoted by the Telegraph.
Other researchers, Yang Liu, said a similar water may also be found on the planet Mercury and the asteroid Vesta or Eros. "Planets and asteroids that have a very different environment, but all the potential to produce water," he said.
Solar storms are charged particles that are always thrown away from the sun. Earth protected from exposure to weather this storm because it has a magnetic field to distract. In the meantime, continue to be exposed in the sun because the storm did not have a protective shield like earth.
Findings from the University of Tennessee team of scientists increasingly shifting the traditional view that states the month was entirely dry. "These findings open the door to a water source in the solar system," said Marc Chaussidon from Universite de Lorraine in France, commented on the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. *** [TELEGRAPH | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 4028]
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