Clementine's image of the near-side of the Moon
Click on image for full size
NASA
Headlines declare (12/2/96): Ice patches seen on Earth's moon
Radar images of the Moon's surface have suggested that water exists on the Moon.
The images of the Moon's south pole region show a patch of ice
about 16 feet thick.
One theory suggests that the ice came from a comet that hit the Moon's surface
billions of years ago.
Because the Moon has no atmosphere,
comets do not burn up as they approach its surface. That means that the material
of the comet can be added to the Moon easily.
By finding water on the Moon's surface, scientists now think they could use the moon as a pit stop for
distant space trips.
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