•Water on the Moon has two potential sources: water carried by comets and other bodies that impact the Moon, and in situ production. The latter is theorized to be produced in small amounts by the chemical combination of hydrogen ions (protons) in the solar wind with oxygen atoms in the Moon’s minerals (oxides, silicates, etc.), forming water or its possible precursors, hydroxyl groups, trapped in a crystal lattice. Water (H2O) and the chemical compound hydroxyl group (-OH), as well as its compounds in the form of hydrates and hydroxides of Moon minerals, persist in low concentrations over much of the Moon’s surface. Indeed, adsorbed water has been estimated to be present in concentrations of one part per million to one part per thousand. This mineral-bound water, or hydroxylated regolith, should not be confused with water ice.
Uncertain evidence of ice on the Moon has been found in various models that assume the presence of bound hydrogen. For decades, lunar scientists have debated the possibility of water deposits. Now, they write in a report that they are “confident that the decades-long debate is over.” “There is water on the Moon everywhere, not just in minerals, but in fragmented form on the surface and probably in the form of ice blocks or slabs deep down.”
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