Moon shadows can hide water ice reserves
NASA experts have found that shadows on the moon can serve an important function. In their opinion, shaded areas can be “shelters” for water ice, according to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Scientists have suggested for another ten years that there may be water on the bright side of the moon. In 2020, this theory was confirmed by data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
But this information did not fit into the researchers' understanding of the Earth's satellite. It is known that there is no dense atmosphere on the Moon, so the bright side is hot under the rays of the Sun. The water should have completely evaporated under such conditions.
Further observations showed that the amount of water changes depending on the time of day. In the hottest time, before noon, it becomes less, but in the afternoon their number increases again. This indicates that water molecules can freely move along the satellite.
The authors of the new study took a closer look at the lunar surface using data from the Apollo missions. They took into account the presence of boulders and craters. It turned out that the shadows they cast provide enough coolness for water to be stored there in the form of ice or frost.
“This model provides a new mechanism that explains how water moves between the lunar surface and the thin lunar atmosphere,” the scientists noted.
Scientists have previously warned that the wobble of the moon could cause flooding on Earth. They could start as early as the 2030s.
