Meteor showers are apparently kicking up water molecules on the moon

Why is there so much water on the moon?

Although we've long thought of the moon as a satellite that has existed without water, except in very small amounts, recent data from a NASA spacecraft has revealed that massive amounts of water are being released from its surface when meteors crash into it, National Geographic reported.

Data collected by the LADEE spacecraft back in 2013 and 2014 helped cement these findings, published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Monday. According to the results, up to 220 tons of water is released during meteor showers like this over the course of a single year — way more than we previously thought existed anywhere close to the moon's surface.

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With new information that contradicts everything we thought about the moon's water availability, this research is opening up a pathway to understanding more about how the moon formed in the first place. Mehdi Benna, the study's lead author, says there might even be an "ancient reservoir of water" that these particles are coming from. And eventually, the apparent bounty of water could be used in future lunar missions "for both hydration and propulsion." Read more at National Geographic.