Water on the Moon Confirmed by NASA Crashes

[Mike Cruz]

Ker Than
for National Geographic News

Updated 10:00 p.m. ET, November 13, 2009
It's official: There's water on the moon—and a "significant amount" of it, too, members of NASA's recent moon-crash mission, LCROSS, announced today.
In October, NASA crashed a two-ton rocket and the SUV-size LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) into the permanently shadowed crater Cabeus on the moon's south pole.

• VIDEO: Crash Course on the Moon
• Water on the Moon Found, Raises Questions About Origin Theory
• There's Water on the Moon, NASA Probes Confirm

The crashes were part of an effort to kick up evidence of water on the moon (picture).
(Read more on the LCROSS mission's moon target.)
Despite disappointing many amateur astronomers on Earth, who had been expecting to see a giant plume of lunar dust and ice crystals, the moon-water mission was a success, NASA says. (See NASA 'Moon Bombing' a Hit, But LCROSS Impact Invisible?")
The LCROSS team took the known near-infrared light signature of water and compared it to the impact spectra LCROSS near-infrared recorded after the probe had sent its spent rocket crashing into the moon.
A spectrometer helps identify the composition of materials by examining which wavelengths of light they emit or absorb.
"We got good fits" for the data graphs, said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS's principal investigator, at today's press conference at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
"We could not put other compounds [in] and generate the same fit."
(Related: "Crash, New Maps to Aid Search for Water on the Moon.")



Read more here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...-the-moon.html

[HarveyJ]

That's not water!!

That's the blood of all of Adatise's mates that got nuked in the illegal act of interplanetary war that ensures we will never ascend!


heheh

[Anthony Ng]

Why is this even on Politics/Controversial? Oh wait, the Moon itself is a conspiracy. That must be it.

[stewie]

Okay water on the moon ... Now we know we can start opening up Tim Horton's up there. LOL

[draggar]

I'm going to buy some land on the moon from one of those web sites and start an ice hockey team up there.

Oh yeah, we'll only play at night so the water will freeze itself.

[Gerry]

That's not water!!

That's the blood of all of Adatise's mates that got nuked in the illegal act of interplanetary war that ensures we will never ascend!


heheh

Geez, someone beat me to it.

Okay water on the moon ... Now we know we can start opening up Tim Horton's up there. LOL

McDonalds beat them to it.

[stock_post]

I think we see lot more companies selling land on the moon.
Must be lots of sites on the way...

Some morons will by it as well.

[Gerry]

Some morons will by it as well.

Years ago, people were paying to have stars named after them.

[draggar]

I think we see lot more companies selling land on the moon.
Must be lots of sites on the way...

Some morons will by it as well.

My wife's ex bought her part of Mars. I wonder if there will be any lawsuits when people realize that they are not really buying land on the moon or other planets?

[stock_post]

If your wife's X bought for her.

You have property that you and your wife can claim on Mars.
good for you guys.

when are you visiting your property?

[randomo]

Years ago, people were paying to have stars named after them.

I still hear those ads once in a while - "Star names will be compiled in book form, in the Library of Congress", or some such idiotic come-on.

Back in college (long time ago), a guy actually bought a star name for a girl I knew, but they later broke up. Wonder if he wanted to rename the star after himself.

[Gerry]

when are you visiting your property?

Road Trip!