Astronomers discover water on the moon
Lunar vacations are inching closer to reality.
Astronomers have discovered ice deposits on the moon's north and south pole, a report published by the National Academy of Sciences on Monday reveals. The findings are the first "direct and definitive evidence" of water ice, the report explains. If humans return to further explore the moon, the frost patches could prove to be a source of water.
The Earth's moon, along with Mercury and the dwarf planet Ceres, were long thought to hold water on their airless surfaces. Scientists found ice deposits on the other bodies, but they previously could only identify ice under the moon's surface and craters that might be cold enough to produce surface ice.
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Now, data from India's Chandrayaan-1 probe shows that frost has accumulated above the moon's rocky floor, per The Guardian. The ice comes in flakes latched to grains of moon dust and only appears in shadowed craters that don't break -261 degrees Fahrenheit, crushing everyone's hopes for a SpaceX spring break. Read more about the discovery at The Guardian.
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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
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