NASA announced that it had found a "significant amount" of water on the moon on November 13, 2009. The discovery was a result of the LCROSS mission, which sent a missile to blast a hole near the South Pole of the moon.http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/prelim_water_results.html
NASA will continue to investigate the water, including where it came from and how much is there.http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/prelim_water_results.html
Quotes
"Multiple lines of evidence show water was present in both the high angle vapor plume and the ejecta curtain created by the LCROSS Centaur impact. The concentration and distribution of water and other substances requires further analysis, but it is safe to say Cabeus holds water."—Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientisthttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/prelim_water_results.html
"The full understanding of the LCROSS data may take some time. The data is that rich. "Along with the water in Cabeus, there are hints of other intriguing substances. The permanently shadowed regions of the moon are truly cold traps, collecting and preserving material over billions of years."—Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientisthttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/prelim_water_results.html
References
Fast Facts
-
Date
November 13, 2009
-
Location
The moon
-
Fact:
NASA announced it had found a "significant amount" of water on the moon
-
Fact:
Discovered in NASA's LCROSS mission
-
Fact:
LCROSS mission sent a missile to blast a crater near the South Pole of the Moon
-
Fact:
NASA to continue to study the water to find out where it came from and how much is there
-
Fact:
Will lead clues to the beginnings of the solar system
