'Glass balls' filled with water found on the Moon

Eva Homicio

Moon

Moon © pixabay.com

Scientists have discovered that water on the moon is located inside glass beads, which are the dominant reservoir involved in the water cycle on the Earth's satellite. 

According to France24, a group of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed 117 of these "beads," collected by the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e-5 in December 2020 and brought to Earth. 

The "beads" are formed as a result of lunar surface collisions and are made of melted material that cools into round glass spheres. Each of these moon beads can contain about a third of a trillion tons of water that could be used in future moon missions. 

Scientists not only found water in the beads, but also a "solar control signature." It has been determined that the hydrogen necessary for the formation of water comes from the solar wind, which spreads charged particles throughout the solar system. 

Another component of water, oxygen, makes up almost half of the moon and is located in mountain rocks and minerals. Scientists believe that the solar wind may contribute to the formation of water on other bodies in the solar system that do not have atmospheres, such as Mercury or asteroids. 

Further research will aim to determine the potential uses of this water on the moon in future missions, as well as develop methods for its extraction.

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