A new study shows that there is more water on the Moon than scientists previously thought, a discovery which researchers say could change how we understand the Moon and how astronauts might find water there in the future.
According to research published Sept. 16 in the Planetary Science Journal, water-rich rocks and soils were discovered across various lunar terrains, including sunlit areas that were thought to be dry.
“Future astronauts may be able to find water even near the equator by exploiting these water-rich areas,” Roger Clark, Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute and lead author of the study, said in a Sept. 16 press release. Previous research only found water in very cold places like permanently shadowed craters, which are near the Moon’s north and south poles.
Clark and researchers from the institute analyzed data from a special tool called the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) aboard India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, which orbited the Moon from 2008 to 2009. The M3 instrument was used to study the chemical composition and structure of the moon’s surface, which provided researchers with detailed mineralogical maps of the lunar surface.
Clark noted that the mapping instrument, also known as an “imaging spectrometer,” can identify up to 85 different colors using infrared and imaging technology, compared to a standard digital camera, which can only capture three.
“Just like we see different colors from different materials, the infrared spectrometer can see many (infrared) colors to better determine the composition, including the water and hydroxyl,” Clark explained in the press release.
The study found that when meteors hit the Moon, they can uncover rocks that contain water. This means that water can be found all over the Moon, not just in shaded areas. Over time, this exposed water can break down, leaving behind a chemical called hydroxyl on the surface, with water found below the surface layer.
“Putting all the evidence together, we see a lunar surface with complex geology with significant water in the sub-surface and a surface layer of hydroxyl,” Clark noted.
The findings revealed that both impacts from meteors and volcanic activity can bring water-rich materials to the surface, researchers said.
Clark said the findings reveal new information about the moon’s surface and where water can be found.
“Knowing where water is located not only helps to understand lunar geologic history, but also where astronauts may find water in the future,” he said.