Water From the Moon’s Surface Could Have Its Origin in the Sun
It may be surprising to find out that the Sun does not directly create water. Water is a chemical compound made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O). The Sun does not have the necessary chemical elements to create water, as it is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium.
However, the Sun does play a role in the creation of water on Earth. Water is created through a process called photosynthesis, which occurs in plants and some bacteria. During photosynthesis, energy from the Sun is used to convert water and carbon dioxide (CO2) into glucose (a type of sugar) and oxygen. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a byproduct of this process, while the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the water are used to create the glucose.
In short, while the Sun does not directly create water, it is an essential component of the process that creates water on Earth.
Water exists on the Moon
Water existing on our natural satellite doesn’t represent an entirely new idea, but how it might have gotten there can surely cause a conundrum. According to a new analysis of dust collected from the Moon, it is possible that the water found on the lunar surface may have originated in the Sun, as ScienceAlert reveals. This water may have been created through the process of solar wind bombardment, where hydrogen ions from the solar wind collide with the lunar surface and interact with mineral oxides. The resulting reaction causes oxygen atoms to be dislodged and bond with the hydrogen ions to form water molecules. This water may be present in significant quantities in the lunar regolith, particularly at mid and high latitudes on the Moon. This new information suggests that the process of solar wind bombardment may play a significant role in the creation of water on the Moon.
Yangting Lin, a cosmochemist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained:
The polar lunar soils could contain more water than Chang’e-5 samples,
This discovery is of great significance for the future utilization of water resources on the Moon. Also, through particle sorting and heating, it is relatively easy to exploit and use the water contained in the lunar soil.
The new study was published in PNAS.
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