Beijing: A team of Chinese scientists has discovered glass-like materials in soil samples brought back from the moon. These materials include hydroxyl and molecular water formed from various sources.
The study, published Saturday in the journal Science Advances, suggests that glass in the lunar soil, caused by impacting asteroids, is the main reason for the presence of water in the lunar soil.
Researchers from the Institute of Geochemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined nearly 100 samples collected during the Cheng’e 5 mission and identified 12 particles that contained hydroxyl and molecular water. .
According to the research, the water found in the particles originated from a number of possible sources, including proton implantation from the solar wind, collisions of water-rich asteroids, and local water on the moon.
The primary source of this water is the implantation of the solar wind, which highlights the importance of the role of water creation on its moon.
The findings could help researchers understand the sources and storage methods of water during the formation of geological planets.
It should be noted that the Chang’e-5 mission returned to Earth with 1731 grams of lunar samples on December 17, 2020, while the next mission of this chain has been sent into space this month.
