Scientists at the University of Hawaii recently did an analysis of hundreds of moon rocks, and they found out that the amount of water in the moon's interior varies. This is an important discovery because it can help answer important questions such as how the moon was formed and it's impact history. The scientists working on this project were not looking for liquid water, but rather they were searching for water trapped in volcanic glasses or inside mineral grains. It is agreed upon by many scientists that the moon was formed by a massive collision between a planetesimal and proto-Earth. So, there are two main hypotheses regarding the origin of water on the moon: water came from that impact, or it came from other smaller impacts with asteroids and comets. The study of water on the moon is quite new, and many scientists from the University of Hawaii and around the world are working together to discover more about the topic.
I am very interested in astronomy, and this article informed me on the many new discoveries that are happening involving the moon. I was surprised to learn that scientists don't know a lot about Earth's moon because we have had astronauts and probes visit it. How do you think this discovery will change our perspective on outer space? How do you think scientists will use this information for more studies?
NOS themes:
Science is collaborative
Science is based on evidence
Role of motivation and curiosity
Link to article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528105408.htm
Cool article! Whenever I read articles like this, I always think, "Does that mean life there is possible?" Since water is a basic necessity of humans, I think that means it is slightly more possible than we think. I did some research to find out if there is a possibility that we could live on the Moon and I came up with some things to prove that false. Turns out that there's not enough water for us to live on, there is no air, and no food. It'd be possible, but it's be difficult. Imagine always having to wear a spacesuit, filling it up with oxygen. And we'd have to keep transporting stuff from Earth to the Moon. It really wouldn't work too well. Thanks for the thought-provoking article.
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