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LCROSS probe found water on the Moon.

LCROSS probe found water on the moon. / November 16, 2009 /


Lunar probe LCROSS, in October, falling on the surface of the Earth’s satellite, found evidence of presence of significant quantities of water. On Friday, November 13, reported at NASA. The conclusion that the moon has water, the researchers came Aerospace Exploration Agency, reviewed a large volume of data from the probe. In the first testimony helped them set the unit spectrometers.

LCROSS mission was as follows: first the upper stage booster rocket probe Centaur hit the lunar surface in the vicinity of the crater Kebeus (Cabeus) near the South Pole at about 2.5 kilometers per second. As a result of the impact crater was thrown were in the crater of the dust. Height of the column of dust was nine miles.

Then the composition of the dust itself has studied various methods probe incident on the surface of the moon (he collided with the Earth’s companion three minutes later) and other spacecraft were in orbit.

The presence of water molecules proved infrared spectrometry data (in this spectrum, scientists have found traces of the «whole» molecules) and ultraviolet spectrometer (in this spectrum, «light» of hydroxyl anions, which result from decomposition of water molecules). As noted at NASA, data from the probe, require further study, but we can already say with certainty that the water at the bottom of the crater Kebeus there. And in significant quantities.

The fall of the probe U.S. space agency was broadcast live on television. The expected show, however, did not work — blows themselves looked pretty pale. I hastened to declare the mission a failure, associating it with the errors in the calculations. Experts who worked on the mission, said that the amount raised by the blow of the material turned out to be overestimated. Besides stage Atlas «scattered" material at the wrong angle — it was assumed that he will be 45 degrees, but in reality dust spurted at an angle of about 30 degrees.

Then, after a week of data analysis, scientists have decided that despite the inconsistency of the results expected, the mission can be successful.


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