[ad_1]
Scientists have found traces of water in lunar soil samples collected by China’s lunar probe, according to research published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The Chang’e-5 probe completed its mission in 2020 and brought back lunar rock and soil samples, providing samples for analysis.
The discovery is part of a wide range of studies suggesting the presence of water on the Moon. Notably, India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission played a key role in identifying water molecules in lunar minerals, including NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), an imaging spectrometer. Previous studies, including data from NASA’s infrared probes and analyses of lunar materials from the 1960s and 1970s, had already confirmed the presence of water.
The Chang’e-5 samples came from higher lunar latitudes than ever before, providing new insights into how water exists on the lunar surface. The samples show that water molecules may exist in the form of hydrated salts in the sunlit areas of the moon, Chinese scientists explained.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences announced the discovery of hydrated minerals rich in molecular water in these samples, according to the South China Morning Post. The research was conducted by experts from the Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Physics and other local institutions.
The researchers are confident that they have ruled out contamination from rocket exhaust or other terrestrial sources. They emphasize that ammonium was detected in the samples point The complex history of lunar degassing and highlights the potential of the Moon as a resource for future lunar habitation.
In addition, the results further support the idea that water molecules can remain stable as hydrated salts in sunlit areas of the Moon, which is crucial for understanding the volatility of water and ammonia vapor in lunar volcanic gases. This insight is crucial for the future utilization of lunar resources.
[ad_2]
Source link
