Water Found on Moon

[BriarFox]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/science/14moon.html

There is water on the Moon, scientists stated unequivocally on Friday, and considerable amounts of it.

“Indeed yes, we found water,” Anthony Colaprete, the principal investigator for NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, said in a news conference.

The confirmation of scientists’ suspicions is welcome news both to future explorers who might set up home on the lunar surface and to scientists who hope that the water, in the form of ice accumulated over billions of years, could hold a record of the solar system’s history.

The satellite, known as Lcross (pronounced L-cross), slammed into a crater near the Moon’s south pole a month ago. The impact carved out a hole 60- to 100-feet wide and kicked up at least 24 gallons of water.

“We got more than just whiff,” said Peter H. Schultz, a professor of geological sciences at Brown University and a co-investigator of the mission. “We practically tasted it with the impact.”

For more than a decade, planetary scientists have seen tantalizing hints of water ice at the bottom of these cold craters where the sun never shines. The Lcross mission consisted of two pieces — an empty rocket stage to carve into the lunar surface and a small spacecraft to measure what was kicked up, but it too slammed into the surface.

For space enthusiasts who stayed up, or woke up early, to watch the impact on Oct. 9, the event was anticlimactic, even disappointing, as they failed to see the anticipated debris plume. But NASA later said that a plume was indeed photographed; the live video stream was not properly attuned to pick out the details.

The water findings come from analysis of the slight shifts in color after the impact, showing telltale signs of water.

[Clove]

I'm setting up my homestead right by the Sea of Tranquility.

[EasternBrand]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/science/14moon.html

The satellite, known as Lcross (pronounced L-cross).

Seriously, what the hell kind of useless phoneticization is this? I read the whole thing and I still don't know how to pronounce the satellite's name.

[Asha]

Oh awesome! So when the sun explodes we can all go live on the moon when the earth is destroyed.

[Clove]

Seriously, what the hell kind of useless phoneticization is this? I read the whole thing and I still don't know how to pronounce the satellite's name.EasternBrand pronounced "Eastern-Brand".

[Celephais]

THA PEAAPAL NEED AAAAAIH, COHAGAN!

[Asha]

SEEE YU AT THE PEEAARTY RIIICHTER

[Makkah]

I got 5 kids to feed...

[Cephalopod]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KWR_gvxCigs/SdnWF_jp_sI/AAAAAAAACO4/V_dGSx7PU0c/s320/Kuato,George.jpg

Does this jacket make my head look too small? Go on, I can take the criticism.

[Jarvan]

We found water on the moon, which is good.

Now maybe we can actually work on going back there. If you think about it, our space program is pretty sad lately. We landed on the moon in 69, and 40 years later we are trying to figure out how to go back.

If I was an advanced alien race watching us, I'd be laughing my ass off.

"Hey look, they just landed on the moon, I bet in 20 years they will land on Mars.."

[Asha]

We've given up on the moon.
We went, we thought it was toss so we came back and thought about going somewhere off StarTrek instead.

[TheEschaton]

Oh awesome! So when the sun explodes we can all go live on the moon when the earth is destroyed.

Technically, if the sun explodes, I think the moon might not be far enough away.

[Fallen]

If the sun explodes, it wont fucking matter what planet you're on.

[Asha]

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

[Celephais]

Moonajuana grows in the shape of tires.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/11/athf---moonajuana.jpg

[Stanley Burrell]

Moonajuana grows in the shape of tires.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/11/athf---moonajuana.jpg

http://video.adultswim.com/aqua-teen-hunger-force/that-was-yoda.html

[Jarvan]

By the time the sun explodes we will no longer be here.

[Whimsi]

Technically, if the sun explodes, I think the moon might not be far enough away.

Either you failed to recognize he was joking or you and fallen just like stating the obvious.

Either way, you fail.

[Asha]

Thank you. :)

[Fallen]

Either you failed to recognize he was joking or you and fallen just like stating the obvious.

Either way, you fail.

As opposed to your failure of recognizing when someone is playing straight man to a fatuous statement for comedic effect. Dumbass.

[Clove]

As opposed to your failure of recognizing when someone is playing straight man to a fatuous statement for comedic effect. Dumbass.No you!

[Whimsi]

As opposed to your failure of recognizing when someone is playing straight man to a fatuous statement for comedic effect. Dumbass.

Nice attempt to deflect your transparent lack of a sense of humor.

[Fallen]

Me too!

Fixed that for you.

[Fallen]

Nice attempt to deflect your transparent lack of a sense of humor.

Thank you. Your sincere appreciation of my observations is well received, kind sir.


P.S.

Blow me.

[Cephalopod]

Moonajuana grows in the shape of tires.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/11/athf---moonajuana.jpg

This explains why Strongbadia is so popular...
http://www.gamecyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/sbcg4ap101_strongbadia.jpg

[Stanley Burrell]

Strong Bad and the Mooninites = WIN

[Latrinsorm]

We've given up on the moon.
We went, we thought it was toss so we came back and thought about going somewhere off StarTrek instead.What we, white man?

Here is why water matters - everywhere on Earth that there is water, there is life. Water that's over 100º C, water that's 99% frozen, water that's acidic enough to eat through a Cadillac, everywhere. Although this particular body of water has probably been contaminated by slamming a God damn satellite into it, an in-depth exploration of the moon will almost certainly turn up life of some kind.

If you don't find that ridiculously fascinating, you're probably not a physical scientist nerd like me.

[Paradii]

What we, white man?

Here is why water matters - everywhere on Earth that there is water, there is life. Water that's over 100º C, water that's 99% frozen, water that's acidic enough to eat through a Cadillac, everywhere. Although this particular body of water has probably been contaminated by slamming a God damn satellite into it, an in-depth exploration of the moon will almost certainly turn up life of some kind.

If you don't find that ridiculously fascinating, you're probably not a physical scientist nerd like me.


Are you saying the Jews went into space 6,000 years ago and planted life on the moon?

[Androidpk]

I found water in my basement today.

[Numbers]

http://moonwhalers.ytmnd.com/

[Skeeter]

As much trouble as we have with space exploration it really leads creedence to the whole moon landing was a fake conspiracy.

[Latrinsorm]

Are you saying the Jews went into space 6,000 years ago and planted life on the moon?That's actually a literal translation of the word "Latrinsorm" - I've been saying it for years now!!

[Clove]

As much trouble as we have with space exploration it really leads creedence to the whole moon landing was a fake conspiracy.How?

[Skeeter]

It was mostly said tongue in cheek, but wouldn't you think 40 years after putting someone on the moon we would be going back regularly, tapping some kind of enegry source, mapping it inside and out, dropping off our garbage etc..

Also why haven't we managed to get to another planet? If you look at all the other strides made in the last 40 years, the space program's seem kind of minor.

At the height of the cold war we stood a lot to gain world wide by beating the Russians to the moon. It's conceivable that the landing was faked to save face and establish ourselves as a super power.

I mean they probably went to the moon, but I wouldn't fall out of my chair shocked if 20 years from now I find out it was faked.

[Asha]

Myth Busters proved it wasn't a fake landing and that does it for me. Heh.

[Clove]

It was mostly said tongue in cheek, but wouldn't you think 40 years after putting someone on the moon we would be going back regularly, tapping some kind of enegry source, mapping it inside and out, dropping off our garbage etc.You have a good point there. You know what? We don't have a supersonic transport anymore either! I'll bet it was fake!!!

[Asha]

I've explained this better.
We came, we saw, we thought it was what we thought.. it's a rock.
Woooooo let's go there again at the cost of absolutely astronomical sums.

[Latrinsorm]

It was mostly said tongue in cheek, but wouldn't you think 40 years after putting someone on the moon we would be going back regularly, tapping some kind of enegry source, mapping it inside and out, dropping off our garbage etc..

Also why haven't we managed to get to another planet? If you look at all the other strides made in the last 40 years, the space program's seem kind of minor.It's fantastically expensive to move stuff into space, let alone to Mars, which would be at least 100 times as far away as the Moon, meaning it would take almost a year to get there, meaning any people involved would be pretty much ruined for life. There's also little to no benefit, now that we've shown the Russkies who's boss - spaceborne research continues just fine around the Earth, it just doesn't have the same pop unless you're a huge nerd in the relevant field.

[Cephalopod]

Bit of a random bump...


Millions of Tons of Water Ice Found at Moon’s North Pole (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/water-moon-north-pole)

A moon probe has found millions of tons of water on the moon’s north pole, NASA reported Monday. The vast source of water could one day be used to generate oxygen or sustain a moon base.

A NASA radar aboard India’s Chandrayaan-I lunar orbiter found 40 craters, ranging in size from 1 to 9 miles across, with pockets of ice. Scientists estimate at least 600 million tons of ice could be entombed in these craters.

The radar, called the Mini-SAR, sends pulses of left-polarized radio waves out to measure the surface roughness of the moon. While smooth surfaces send back a reversed, right-polarized wave, rough areas return left-polarized waves.

Ice, which is transparent to radio waves, also sends back left-polarized waves. The Mini-SAR measures the ratio of left to right circular polarized power sent back, or the circular polarized ratio (CPR). However, a high CPR alone can’t distinguish between rough patches and regions with ice.

The north pole craters had a high CPR on the inside, with a low CPR on the edges. That suggests a material enclosed in the craters, rather than surface roughness, caused the high CPR signal. According to NASA, the ice would have to be relatively pure ice and at least several feet thick to give this signature.

In November, NASA crashed a probe into the Cabeus crater near the moon’s
south pole and also found evidence of water.


Too bad we're axing that Constellation mission that never would've gotten us to the moon. Looks like time to rethink a new moon mission, with the goal of surviving the forthcoming zombiepocalypse.

[Kuyuk]

It's all fun and games until zombies send other zombies into space too.

[Methais]

http://entertainment.newshaven.org/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/a5a73_astro-zombies.jpg

[TheEschaton]

Come on, Zombies aren't smart enough to fly in space. For that you'd need Reavers.

[Tisket]

Come on, Zombies aren't smart enough to fly in space. For that you'd need Reavers.

I just read a story wherein zombies retain some of their intelligence when they turn. Let me just say, this would be a very, very bad development for regular humans.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I just read a story wherein zombies retain some of their intelligence when they turn. Let me just say, this would be a very, very bad development for regular humans.

Details please! Was it a book, something online??

[Tisket]

Details please! Was it a book, something online??

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Island-Zombie-David-Wellington/dp/1560258500

Excellent read.

[Tisket]

It's actually a trilogy but I haven't read the others yet.

[Numbers]

Marvel zombies in space?

http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox8/pics/galactus-zombies.jpg

[Cephalopod]

It's actually a trilogy but I haven't read the others yet.

That looks pretty awesome. I'm ordering it on Amazon now.