Scientists Found a Surprising New Water Source on the Moon

You might not realize it, but water is a lot more common on the moon than you probably think—albeit not in its liquid form. Instead, water shows up as ice all over the lunar surface. While it’s not as prevalent as our own wet planet, lunar water has the potential to be a very valuable resource for future lunar colonies—so as long as we know where to look for it.

Researchers in China have discovered evidence of a surprising location for moon water: glass beads. In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists analyzed lunar samples collected by China’s Chang’e-5 mission and brought back to Earth. They found that glass beads formed by impacts from space rocks can store water, suggesting that the moon and other “airless bodies” like asteroids might actually have more water on their surfaces than expected.

Surprisingly, the water might be coming from a very unexpected source: the sun. As solar winds pummel the lunar surface with protons, these molecules interact with the oxide within the minerals. Over time, this can create hydrogen and, therefore, the ingredients for water.

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