Lunar water, previously unknown to exist independently on the surface of the Moon, has recently been detected. This surface water, known as magmatic water, originated from deep within the Moon’s interior. This exciting discovery of internal water from orbit means that scientists can now begin to understand lunar water in a much broader context.
According to Klima, "the discovery represents an exciting contribution to the rapidly changing understanding of lunar water."
"For many years, researchers believed that the rocks from the Moon were 'bone dry' and that any water detected in the Apollo samples had to be contamination from Earth," said Klima. "About five years ago, new laboratory techniques used to investigate lunar samples revealed that the interior of the Moon is not as dry as we previously thought. Around the same time, data from orbital spacecraft detected water on the lunar surface, which is thought to be a thin layer formed from solar wind hitting the lunar surface."
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