Scientists from the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Molecular water found preserved in lunar soil samples taken by China’s Chang’e-5 space mission.
Experts believe that the water preserved in the lunar soil may come from multiple sources, particularly the solar wind, as well as water-rich meteorites or micrometeorites and water originating from the Moon.
Water on the moon?
For the study, now published in the journal Science Advances, nearly 100 impact glass samples collected during the Chang’e-5 mission were analyzed. In them, identified 12 grains containing hydroxyl and molecular water.
This is worth noting Finding water molecules does not mean that water exists in a liquid state on the Moon.because a molecule is the minimum unit of a substance that retains its chemical properties.
However, These findings could help researchers understand the benefits of water storage during the evolution of planetary bodies.explained Tang Hong, author of the study, in declaration.
“Our studies provides a better understanding of the evolution of surface water in bodies without air (oxygen) and identifies possible sources and storage pathways for water on terrestrial planets” says the paper.
The Chang’e-5 probe, which returned to Earth on December 17, 2020, retrieved 1,731 grams of lunar samples, mostly composed of rocks and soil from the lunar surface.
This month, China launched the Chang’e-6 spacecraft to collect and return samples from the far side of the moon to understand the moon’s formation and evolution.
