Wednesday, November 18, 2009

¡Agua en la Luna!


I'm a bit slow on the draw here, but just for posterity...

Water Discovered in Moon Shadow

Credit: LCROSS, NASA

Explanation: Why is there water on the Moon? Last month, the LCROSS mission crashed a large impactor into a permanently shadowed crater near the Moon's South Pole. A plume of dust rose that was visible to the satellite, although hard to discern from Earth. The plume is shown above in visible light. Last week, the results of a preliminary chemical analysis gave a clear indication that the dust plume contained water. Such water is of importance not only for understanding the history of the Moon, but as a possible reservoir for future astronauts trying to live on the Moon for long periods. The source of the lunar water is now a topic of debate. Possible origins include many small meteorites, a comet, or primordial moon soil.

4 comments:

  1. It was very interesting for me to read the article. Thank author for it. I like such topics and anything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more soon.

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  2. Thanks Anon, it's pretty exciting stuff! I'll always try to post little science tidbits on here, so check back if you want...

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  3. Hmmm..I thought I saw a face in that picture. Spoooooky!!

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  4. Geez, I totally see it now, that's kinda freaky!

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