It has been determined that water on the Moon could have gradually accumulated over billions of years, rather than as a result of a major event.
Medianews.az reports with reference to Publika.az that according to the conducted research, it is assumed that water gradually accumulated over 3-3.5 billion years.
Scientists have rejected the hypothesis that water suddenly formed, for example, after the collision of a large comet.
"Instead, several sources are considered. These include ancient volcanism capable of releasing water from inside the Moon, comets and asteroids, as well as the solar wind. In this case, hydrogen interacts with the lunar surface producing water. Ice is preserved in places called 'cold traps,' which have been in permanent shadow, never exposed to sunlight, in craters for billions of years," the information states.
Through data from NASA missions, scientists have identified that the oldest and longest-shadowed craters contain the most ice. For instance, the Haworth crater located at the Moon's south pole, which has been in shadow for more than 3 billion years, could be one of the main "reservoirs" of water.
According to the lead author of the study, Oded Aharonsson, understanding the origin of water on the Moon is important not only for science but also for future missions. Ice could be used as a source of drinking water or even as fuel by splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen.
It should be noted that the study was published in the journal "Nature Astronomy."