NASA discovers water on the moon

In summary: NASA ordered over 300 prints of the award-winning film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It can be viewed (free) or purchased at the NFB website here: https://www.nationalfilmboard.ca/explore/movies/2001-space-odyssey
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https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-sofia-discovers-water-on-sunlit-surface-of-moon/

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon. This discovery indicates that water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not limited to cold, shadowed places.

SOFIA has detected water molecules (H2O) in Clavius Crater, one of the largest craters visible from Earth, located in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. Previous observations of the Moon’s surface detected some form of hydrogen, but were unable to distinguish between water and its close chemical relative, hydroxyl (OH). Data from this location reveal water in concentrations of 100 to 412 parts per million – roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce bottle of water – trapped in a cubic meter of soil spread across the lunar surface. The results are published in the latest issue of Nature Astronomy.

“We had indications that H2O – the familiar water we know – might be present on the sunlit side of the Moon,” said Paul Hertz, director of the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Now we know it is there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions about resources relevant for deep space exploration.”
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Given that it's SOFIA, probably water on the moon.
 
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  • #3
Vanadium 50 said:
Given that it's SOFIA, probably water on the moon.

No need to pack a water bottle on my next trip to the Moon, then?
 
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Strangely, it coincides with this new product offering...

https://filmandfurniture.com/product/2001-space-odyssey-monolith/

1603325323066.png
 
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  • #5
Greg Bernhardt said:
Anyone have a hint on what this is about?
look forward to finding out :smile:
 
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Greg Bernhardt said:
Anyone have a hint on what this is about?
Yes. . . but I'm forbidden to divulge my source !

However, this is what I was able to glean. . .

My Source said:
Eighteen months ago, the first evidence of intelligent life off the Earth was discovered. It was buried forty feet below the lunar surface, near the crater Tycho. Except for a single, very powerful radio emission, aimed at Jupiter, its origin and purpose still remain a total mystery !
Carry on. . . . 👽 . . 😰

.
 
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  • #7
Vanadium 50 said:
Given that it's SOFIA, probably water on the moon.

Got it in one. :wink:
 
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  • #9
Good job Neil Armstrong and co took there boots!
 
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berkeman said:
Strangely, it coincides with this new product offering...

https://filmandfurniture.com/product/2001-space-odyssey-monolith/

View attachment 271355
Wow.
I want a Monolith.
Did a search. There are similar and larger products that are three D printed.
simple model with dimensions: 1 x 4 x 9
Maybe I'll send a file off to be printed out of metal (could make it hollow, and maybe have some stars printed on the inside!).
I'll have to figure out what kind of black metal is available for printing (if any).
 
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BillTre said:
I'll have to figure out what kind of black metal is available for printing (if any).
Well, you could make it out of any convenient material, Titanium for very light weight, depleted Uranium for very heavy.

Then coat it with Vantablack (99+% absorptivity). A neat trick is that if applied to a 3D surface, when viewed and lighted from the same direction it still looks flat. Oblique viewing can show the relief.
Probably rather pricey.

https://www.surreynanosystems.com/about/vantablack

There is another coating called Black 3.0 that is supposedly even blacker, I have no info on it though.

Cheers,
Tom
 
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  • #12
I contacted the Vanta Black producers a couple of years a go for a potential project.
At that time it was not available to many and restricted for art type projects (licensed to one person).
It is also a fragile coating (the version which is nanotubes grown up perpendicular to a surface (only certain kinds of surfaces)).
It is expensive.
There is also a spray on version however (which should be cheaper, but less light absorbing), as well as competing products.

I don't know that people 3D print with depleted uranium, but it sounds cool.
 
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BillTre said:
Wow.
I want a Monolith.
Did a search. There are similar and larger products that are three D printed.
simple model with dimensions: 1 x 4 x 9
Maybe I'll send a file off to be printed out of metal (could make it hollow, and maybe have some stars printed on the inside!).
I'll have to figure out what kind of black metal is available for printing (if any).
You could do the 3d print with aluminum, and then anodize it ##-## a side note: Kubrick watched the Canadian Film Board (National Film Board of Canada) animated short Universe before he made 2001, and hired some of its personnel, including Wally Gentleman for optical effects, and narrator Douglas Rain for the voice of HAL ##-## NASA ordered over 300 prints of the award-winning film ##-## it can be viewed (free) or purchased at the NFB website here: http://www.nfb.ca/film/universe/
 
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  • #14
Adonizinng Al. Very cool.

I like practical effects. Many Ridley Scott films are have good examples of them.
I wanted to make a small studio, with a vanta black background to be the black of space, and move little models in front of it.
It would be the ultimate black of space, in a physically limited setting.
 
  • #15
For more of a DIY approach...

If I recall correctly, the monolith was perfectly smooth on all surfaces.

Rather than having one 3D printed, you could likely find some metal bar stock that has close to the aspect ratio, then cut-to-length, polish and finish. Or even find a machinist to do the metal work (they might have some scraps around the shop).

Or even tempered glass for that matter, would just need to polish the edges.

Cheers,
Tom
 
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  • #16
It should come as no surprise to anyone that there's water on the moon ##-## from Journal of Dairy Science:

For green cheese: In 18 cheeses (averaging approximately 50 per cent fat in dry matter), average percentage of moisture, 37.08 (7) ; in 1 cheese, 43.99 (15) ; in 1 cheese, 40.92 (1) ; average of 20 green cheeses, 37.62 per cent moisture.​

We've all known from infancy what the moon was made of . . .
 
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  • #17
There was a short article in 28 Aug. 2020 issue of Science pg1058 by Anne H. Peslier of NASA that discussed the source of water on Earth. (And I would presume also on the Moon.)

Actually the short article references and supports an article by Piani et al, on pg1110 in the same issue: Earth's water may have been inherited from material similar to enstatite chondrite meterorites.

Peslier's synopsis can be found at:
https://bookcafe.yuntsg.com/ueditor/jsp/upload/file/20200911/1599807066876004780.pdf

Piani's article can be found at:
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6507/1110.full?ijkey=75sOMad8UzU8k&keytype=ref&siteid=sci

Cheers,
Tom
 
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  • #18
Tom.G said:
For more of a DIY approach...

If I recall correctly, the monolith was perfectly smooth on all surfaces.

Rather than having one 3D printed, you could likely find some metal bar stock that has close to the aspect ratio, then cut-to-length, polish and finish. Or even find a machinist to do the metal work (they might have some scraps around the shop).

Or even tempered glass for that matter, would just need to polish the edges.

I like the idea of a metal monolith because it would have some heft.
However, I'm thinking the ideal monolith would be black, but could then be made clear (or perhaps semi-transparent) to reveal the stars on the inside (as in "it's full of stars").
I know there's glass that can get darker in light. The opposite would be nice.
 
  • #19
There is such a thing as electrophoretic windows. They vary transparency with an applied voltage. This would require you to do more research as I don't know any details.

What I'm thinking is a layer of this glass on the surface with cutouts/images of stars behind it. A power source could be hidden either inside the obelisk or in its display base.

Alternate possibility:
Obelisk is a hollow container made of black glass. Inside are some very tiny LED's, a power source, a magnetic or tilt switch.

If you decide to produce these things, please put me on the reservation list for one.

(enough brainstorming for one night, I'm getting a windstorm in my noggin {too much hot air} :oldbiggrin:)

Cheers,
Tom
 
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  • #20
If you can limit the viewing angle: Make two or three faces really dark, make the other three faces transmit some light but not too much, and then add lights inside.
 
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  • #21
Tom.G said:
If you decide to produce these things, please put me on the reservation list for one.

Using a transparent OLED tv, like LG's 55EW5F-A or 55EW5TF-A, you can display any photo you like without any other equipment, or you can make it dynamic, with a computer where you run Celestia, or any other planetarium software, and interact via touch.

Using it in portrait mode it should be quite similar to a monolith, the only problem is the cost, with or without touch, over 20,000 usd.

Giving up transparency, you can use a dual sided display, so as to be able to turn around it as in 2001, such as the Benq DH551 which by the way is already similar to the monolith, and it goes down to only 18,000 usd.

Finally, with a pc and two 55" tv and a bit of DIY, you can build it by yourself a bit over 1000 usd.
 
  • #22
When is the next splashdown?
 
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1. What does the discovery of water on the moon mean?

The discovery of water on the moon is significant because it suggests the possibility of sustainable human presence on the moon in the future. Water is essential for life and can also be used for various purposes such as drinking, growing plants, and producing rocket fuel.

2. How did NASA discover water on the moon?

NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) detected water molecules in Clavius Crater, one of the largest craters visible from Earth. SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft with a telescope mounted on it, which allows it to observe celestial objects from above the Earth's atmosphere.

3. Is the water on the moon drinkable?

The water on the moon is not drinkable in its current form. It exists as ice trapped in the lunar soil, and it would need to be extracted and purified before it can be consumed. However, this discovery opens up the possibility of using the water for future human missions to the moon.

4. Can the water on the moon be used for rocket fuel?

Yes, the water on the moon can potentially be used for rocket fuel. Water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis, and these elements can then be used as fuel for spacecraft. This could make future missions to the moon and beyond more cost-effective and sustainable.

5. What other implications does the discovery of water on the moon have?

The discovery of water on the moon has several other implications. It could provide insights into the moon's geological history and the origins of water in our solar system. It could also aid in the development of technologies for extracting and utilizing resources on other planets. Additionally, it could open up new opportunities for international collaboration in space exploration.

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