The ice that is found on the Moon is a phenomenon that has baffled scientists for decades. Like, where does it originate from?! We now know, as a result of a recent study, that waves of electrons, which arrive unintentionally from our planet and the Sun, are one of the factors that contribute to the development of frozen water on the surface of the Moon. That’s very remarkable.
The researchers believe that other forces, notably electrons, are involved in the phenomenon. It’s possible that high-energy electrons might react with the lunar soil, freeing hydrogen that was previously trapped there and allowing water to develop as a result of the reaction. But here’s the thing with those waves of electrons. They strike the Moon when it travels within and outside of Earth’s magnetotail, which is a trail of charged particles that our planet trails behind as it speeds through space. The process itself is pretty interesting.
Previous research conducted by scientists investigated the possibility that the magnetotail and the wider magnetosphere had a part in the development of water on the Moon. The magnetosphere is formed when the solar wind is repelled by the protective magnetic field that surrounds the Earth. This action results in a cascade of different consequences.
In the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons; […] n particular, radiation by high energy electrons exhibits similar effects as the solar wind protons, Shuai Li, planetary scientists at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
The results of a distant investigation indicate, however, that this is different. Previous research suggested that hydrogen ions carried by solar winds were responsible for the generation of water on the Moon. However, it now appears that this water continues to form even when the lunar surface is shielded from solar winds by the magnetotail. It is a fascinating suggestion, but extra research and exploration on the lunar surface will continue to be required to find out for sure. But it is one of several that experts are investigating to try to identify where the water on the Moon initially originated.
