Evidence Shows the Moon May Hold 100 Times More Water Than Previously Thought
The Moon May Be Wetter Than We Know A new study suggests the minimum water content of the moon should be 100 times higher than previous research shows. It's been a great day for interplanetary H2O. First we hear that Mars was once covered in a massive, deep ocean. Now scientists at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory are reporting that the moon may harbor 100 times more water than previously thought. Taking a fresh look at rocks collected from the lunar surface during the Apollo missions, the researchers found that the minimum water content on the moon after its formation likely ranged between 64 parts per billion to 5 parts per million, at least two orders of magnitude higher than originally thought. It also suggests that the water is native to the moon, having been part of the original magma that formed the moon after its mass was, supposedly, sheared from...