Scientists Discover Water Molecules on Moon, Solar Wind The Suspected Source

Water particles, which may be due to solar wind, have been discovered in samples of lunar soil, scientists announced on Sunday. According to the AFP, lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo missions were found to carry water molecules as well as hydroxyl, a precursor of water.

The study's lead author, Yang Liu from the University of Tennessee, reported that a reaction between hydrogen ions in solar wind and lunar surface soil called regolith resulted in the water molecules. The precursor molecule, hydroxyl, is comprised of one hydrogen and one oxygen atom, AFP reported.

According to the Telegraph, Youxue Zhang, a researcher of the study, explained, "Our work shows that the 'water' component, the hydroxyl, is widespread in lunar materials, although not in the form of ice or liquid water that can easily be used in a future manned lunar base."

AFP reported that samples collected from the Apollo 11, 16 and 17 missions were tested to "get a chemical signature of regolith grains." Researchers found the samples to be low in deuterium, which pointed researchers in the direction of the Sun, which is deuterium-less.

The find supports the idea that the Moon is not completely arid as it was once believed to be, the AFP reported. According to the report, NASA discovered water crystals in a deep crater on the Moon in 2009, which implied that it was once a moist celestial body.

Previously, the only source of water, found in the region of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, was thought to be comets and similar water-rich rocks that had collided with planets and other bodies. The results of the study now give a second source of water from the Sun in the form of solar wind.

The study explained, "A similar mechanism may contribute to hydroxyl on the surfaces of other airless terrestrial bodies where the solar wind directly interacts with the surface."

Liu added, "This also means that water likely exists on Mercury and on asteroids such as Vesta or Eros further within our solar system. These planetary bodies have very different environments, but all have the potential to produce water."

According to AFP, Earth is protected from solar wind due to the atmosphere and its magnetic field. The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.