SOFIA Detects Water on the Moon

This illustration highlights the Moon’s Clavius Crater in the southern hemisphere, where traces of water were detected by NASA's airborne observatory SOFIA. This is the first time water has been found on the sunlit surface of the Moon. The call-out depicts water molecules trapped inside tiny, glass bead-like structures within the lunar soil. These structures may prevent water from being lost to space, allowing it to remain on the harsh, nearly airless lunar surface.

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