Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum

To be announced by nasa on Monday at 12PM EDT (16:00 UTC, 9AM PDT). Hopefully to be streamed on nasa-tv.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-...about-moon

They say that it was discovered by SOFIA, a flying infrared observatory in a converted Boeing 747.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/index.html

https://www.nasa.gov/ames

Speculation is that it's confirmation of water ice on the Moon. Or maybe something more like what MR expects...

What's with NASA? Not getting as much attention as Spacex? Cliffhangers, teasers and I don't know what. That said I won't be entirely normal until Monday and we find out what it is.

More organic molecules?

(Oct 23, 2020 06:46 PM)Yazata Wrote: [ -> ]Speculation is that it's confirmation of water ice on the Moon.

Yeah, most likely water.

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2020/10/ex...oon-n.html

Unless it's large bodies of water ice, it could be insignificant deposits from impacts.

I'm betting they've found a hot spot. Evidence of recent if not on-going volcanic activity or venting of some gas (possibly water vapour) from the interior. Nasa dudes are pretty cool - if their water vapour detecting thing detected water vapour they'd just say so. I reckon it takes something quite unexpected to turn cool dudes into smirky theatrical types and I'm betting on a hot spot of some sort. Any takers?

Water discovered in the lunar dirt, even where the Sun shines. Potentially useful quantities too. The Moon is still very dry though, maybe 100X dryer than the Sahara desert. (But desert tribes survive out there with no advanced technology.)

I can imagine Elon using his Starships to transport his Boring tunneling machines to the Moon. They could dig out radiation protected habitats under the surface, with the added bonus that water could be processed out of the waste. Water mining on the Moon may someday become a thing.

https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2020/10...603729206/

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-...e-of-moon/

(Oct 26, 2020 08:08 PM)Yazata Wrote: [ -> ]Water discovered in the lunar dirt, even where the Sun shines. [...]

Shucks. I was hoping it was about an entrance to the hive of these inhabitants being sighted.

(Oct 27, 2020 01:10 AM)C C Wrote: [ -> ]

(Oct 26, 2020 08:08 PM)Yazata Wrote: [ -> ]Water discovered in the lunar dirt, even where the Sun shines. [...]

Shucks. I was hoping it was about an entrance to the hive of these inhabitants being sighted.

That's what MR was expecting, I'm sure. He knows that flying saucers come from the Moon.