'Significant' Amount Of Water Found On Moon

'Significant' Amount Of Water Found On Moon
7:33pm UK, Friday November 13, 2009
Ian Collier, Sky News Online

A "significant" amount of water has been found on the Moon, according to Nasa.

Preliminary data from a Moon probe "indicates the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater," Nasa said.

"The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the Moon," it added in a statement.

The data was found after Nasa sent two spacecraft crashing into the lunar surface last month in a dramatic experiment to probe for water.

One rocket slammed into the Cabeus crater, near the Moon's southern pole, at around 5,600mph.

It was followed four minutes later by a spacecraft equipped with cameras to record the impact.




"We are ecstatic," said Anthony Colaprete, project scientist and principal investigator for the LCROSS mission.

"Multiple lines of evidence show water was present in both the high angle vapor plume and the ejecta curtain created by the LCROSS Centaur impact.

"The concentration and distribution of water and other substances requires further analysis, but it is safe to say Cabeus holds water."

Scientists had previously theorized that, except for the possibility of ice at the bottom of craters, the moon was totally dry.

Finding water on Earth's natural satellite is a major breakthrough in space exploration.

"We're unlocking the mysteries of our nearest neighbour and, by extension, the solar system," said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at Nasa headquarters in Washington

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I may be a little stupid here....but, is it really a good idea to 'smash' stuff into the moon?? I mean, really? It's a big bloody ball of rock hanging above my head and I'd rather they didn't go smashing it all around the place....

And they found water? Erm...I always kinda assumed there was water on the moon anyway. Doesn't it control the tides?

My thoughts exactly Edds, surely there are better ways of exploring the moon than sending rockets hurtling at it Do these people know the consequences of doing stuff like this, it scares the life out of me

Harvesmom wrote:My thoughts exactly Edds, surely there are better ways of exploring the moon than sending rockets hurtling at it Do these people know the consequences of doing stuff like this, it scares the life out of me

What if a piece of moonrock hits me on the head HM?

eddie, you might be able to sue NASA if that happens It'll be their fault!