It's H2O-ficial: Proof of Water on Moon

Tonic gave our readers advanced notice of NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Mission starting back in June and again in September.

The news that immediately followed the October 9 impact on the surface of the moon designed to blast open a new fresh crater and expose what was hoped to be all manner of subsurface ice was one largely of deflation: we were hoping to be able to see a nice big plume of debris kicked up from Earth, and the visual display turned out to be not so spectacular. It seemed like a bit of a letdown.

NASA however, brings great news: the mission was a technical success, as hard, conclusive evidence has been returned indicating that water is indeed on the moon. The visual display may not have been as spectacular as billed in advance, but the accomplishment of the mission's goal with positive results has everyone at NASA over the moon.

In an excerpt from NASA's LCROSS mission update page, we get the lowdown on what was accomplished by the explosive charge that went off when LCROSS's Centaur rocket hit the moon surface, and the significance that it holds:

"The impact created by the LCROSS Centaur upper stage rocket created a two-part plume of material from the bottom of the crater. The first part was a high angle plume of vapor and fine dust and the second a lower angle ejecta curtain of heavier material. This material has not seen sunlight in billions of years.

"'We're unlocking the mysteries of our nearest neighbor and by extension the solar system. It turns out the moon harbors many secrets, and LCROSS has added a new layer to our understanding,' said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington."

NASA's update goes on to explain that the project team has been burning the midnight oil poring over the volumes of data created and collected, and it has required the investment of significant time and effort to be certain of the findings.

Nor are they done mining for data gold. Not only will further analysis be required to derive a sense for quantities of water that may be present, but early analysis suggests that other surprises may be at hand. NASA scientist Anthony Colaprete relates with enthusiasm what may yet unfold:

"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."

Photo courtesy of NASA, via Wikimedia Commons