A new study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals that the solar wind may not be the only source of ions that form water on the moon. Researchers show that the moon’s particles with water imply that even other planets can bring water to their satellites. Water is frequent in space. It is available from the surface of Mars to the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn, comets, asteroids and Pluto.
The Moon could get water from the “wind”
Water has been detected in clouds far from the solar system. Previously, water was assumed to be incorporated into these objects during the formation of the solar system. However, over time, there was evidence that water in space is predominant and is much more dynamic. Several computer models have predicted that up to half of the lunar surface water should evaporate and disappear in high-latitude regions during full moon time.
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The latest analysis of hydroxyl / water surface maps by the Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper satellite revealed that lunar surface water does not disappear during this period of protection of the magnetosphere. Although it was believed that the Earth’s magnetic field blocked the arrival of the solar wind on the moon. However, researchers later discovered that this was never the case.
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The researchers compared time series of surface water maps before, during, and after magnetosphere transit and argued that lunar water could be replenished by magnetospheric ion fluxes. It’s called the “wind of the earth.” Later, the Kaguya satellite confirmed the presence of these Earth-derived ions near the moon.
TheMIS-ARTEMIS satellite observations were also used to outline the distinctive features of the ions. Previous observations of the Kaguya satellite during the full moon detected high concentrations of oxygen isotopes. These leaked from the Earth’s ozone layer and became embedded in the lunar soil. In addition, this was present with a large amount of hydrogen ions in the Earth’s exosphere.
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