New reservoir may have been found on the moon

Researchers at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences may have discovered a water reservoir on the Moon. The research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, even provides information on how the bed might have formed.

It has been known that there is water on the Moon since the Apollo mission. However, some details about how the hold, release and renew cycle work are not yet fully understood.

The Moon’s atmosphere is weak and therefore it is believed that it cannot hold water for very long. However, the observations showed that the satellite had a certain cycle that did not agree with previous studies.

Analyzing data from the Chinese Chang’e 5 rover mission (CH5), researchers seem to have found an answer.

The researchers found that the water cycle on the Moon is dependent on a then unknown water reservoir.

According to CE5 data, this reservoir may be in glass spheres found all over the lunar soil.

Each sphere will hold approximately 0.002 grams of water inside. The water cycle, which includes about 297.6 billion tons of these masses, which takes several days, becomes possible, as observed.

But where does this water come from?

It may sound strange, but it comes from the Sun! Scientists believe these glass spheres come from the interaction of the solar wind, which emits hydrogen ions and combines with oxygen particles found on the Moon.

In this scenario, the solar winds are the great “storagers” of water in the lunar soil, maintaining a continuous water cycle.

For researchers, the presence of usable water on the Moon represents the possibility of longer missions with the opportunity to use water from the satellite itself.

Analysis of data from the CE5 mission will continue and is expected to unravel more mysteries of the lunar soil.