NASAさんのインスタグラム写真 - (NASAInstagram)「For the first time, molecular water was discovered on a sunlit surface of the Moon, suggesting water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not limited to cold, shadowed places. The research, from Goddard postdoctoral fellow Dr. Casey Honniball, was made possible by observations from NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory. SOFIA is the world's largest airborne observatory, a modified 747 that flies high in the atmosphere to provide its nearly 9-foot telescope with a clear view of the universe and objects in our solar system. Flying above 99% of the atmosphere, SOFIA's infrared instruments picked up the chemical fingerprint unique to water, finding surprising concentrations in the Clavius crater. Water on the surface of the Moon should be easily lost to space because there is no atmosphere to help trap it, raising questions about how the surface water persists. The water could be trapped in tiny glass bead-like structures in the soil that form out of the high heat created by micrometeorite impacts. SOFIA’s follow-up flights will look for water in additional sunlit locations and during different lunar phases to learn more about how the water is produced, stored and moved across the Moon. This new discovery contributes to NASA’s efforts to learn about the Moon in support of deep space exploration. Under NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 to prepare for our next giant leap – human exploration of Mars as early as the 2030s. Understanding the science of the Moon also helps piece together the broader history of the inner solar system. 📸: VIsualization of Clavius crater. Credit: NASA」10月27日 1時03分