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BenBurch · 13th November 2009, 12:27 PM

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-69977192.html

John Jones · 13th November 2009, 12:32 PM

I saw the broadcast live.

They found water, and sodium, and probably methane, methanol, ethanol, CO₂, and SO₂.

Exciting stuff.

BenBurch · 13th November 2009, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by John Jones

I saw the broadcast live.

They found water, and sodium, and probably methane, methanol, ethanol, CO₂, and SO₂.

Exciting stuff.

I wonder if the organics hint at biology?

John Jones · 13th November 2009, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by BenBurch

I wonder if the organics hint at biology?

I kinda doubt it, but it adds another chapter to our understanding of lunar geology.

The NASA guys remarked that traces of these organic compounds were found on the Apollo moon rocks, but they assumed it was due to contamination.

But still, they found water.

drkitten · 13th November 2009, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by BenBurch

I wonder if the organics hint at biology?

Not to me they don't. Too simple.

BTMO · 13th November 2009, 12:57 PM

They need dowswers on the moon.
The scientists would swoon.
They could find strange things,
With bent wire and rings,
And sing a dowsing tune...

Earthborn · 13th November 2009, 02:44 PM

I was dowsing on the moon one day
In the merry merry month of May
-- No, december! --
I was taken by surprise
By a beauty queen of ice
In a moment my poor heart was stole away

A smile was all she gave to me
Of course we were as happy as can be

I immediately raised my visor
And she seemed even nicer
I never shall forget
That lovely afternoon
I met her at the fountain on the moon

I was dowsing on the moon one day
In the merry merry month of May
-- no, october! --
I was taken by surprise
By something to electrolyse
To rocket fuel to send me on my way...

Skeptic Guy · 13th November 2009, 02:57 PM

There were cows on the moon.

Just thinking · 13th November 2009, 06:02 PM

It's pee from ancient astronauts.

(They were looking for a dark place where no one would see them going.)

shadron · 13th November 2009, 07:42 PM

With any bad lock at all they'll find that that happened to be the one crater that the Lunarians used as a municipal swimming pool.

CapelDodger · 13th November 2009, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by BenBurch

I wonder if the organics hint at biology?

At such low levels they indicate (to my mind) slow processes over very long periods of time, not necessarily in situ.

Aitch · 14th November 2009, 05:36 AM

Even Google is commemorating it.

Foolmewunz · 14th November 2009, 05:49 AM

This is exciting!

It's also at times like this that I regret having a moral streak. How long before someone comes out with AquaLuna^TM, in nice designer bottles and promoted as "Using the exact formula as the water on the moon. Why AquaLuna^TM will refresh your thirst like nothing on this world."

pgwenthold · 14th November 2009, 05:58 AM

Alcohol on the moon? Means only one thing...

ROAD TRIP!!!!!

R.Mackey · 14th November 2009, 10:58 PM

This is actually a far more exciting discovery than most realize.

The media has been playing up the notion of using lunar water for supplying astronauts and rockets, which is itself quite exciting. However, to me, the science potential is even more significant.

It appears the lunar craters consist of catch basins -- totally out of sunlight, screened from most ionizing radiation, eternally stable in their extreme low temperature. Over the eons, they've collected water, or ancient water has remained.

Which is it? This alone is a huge question with strong implications for the formation of the Moon and the very early state of the Earth.

More interesting, however, is that water isn't all that's down there. There's a whole lot more.

A few years ago we flew a mission called Genesis and another called Stardust that were designed, respectively, to capture dust blowing in planetary space off of the Sun, and to capture material flaking off of comets. This gives us clues about the content of the Sun and the ancient state of our solar system, long before the planets formed. This helps answer questions of isotopic balance, star cycle, presence and origin of organics, and potentially the origin of life itself.

Now imagine, instead of these spacecraft with brief life spans, we have a collector several kilometers across that we leave running for billions of years. That's what the shadowed lunar craters now appear to represent.

It'll be a while before we get to it, but this is exciting stuff.

Belgian thought · 14th November 2009, 11:52 PM

Poor old Partick Moore who last week on Sky at Night said that if indeed they found water on the moon from the LCROSS mission, he would eat his hat.

P.S. Herge's Tintin found ice way back in 1954

BenBurch · 15th November 2009, 05:53 AM

These cold traps likely also contain a considerable amount of material relating to the history of Earth.

For example, every time a large enough rock hits the earth, material is thrown back into space, and some winds up on the moon. In the cold traps, volatiles and maybe even organics might be preserved. Possibly even the remains of bacteria...

Ness36 · 15th November 2009, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by BenBurch

These cold traps likely also contain a considerable amount of material relating to the history of Earth.

For example, every time a large enough rock hits the earth, material is thrown back into space, and some winds up on the moon. In the cold traps, volatiles and maybe even organics might be preserved. Possibly even the remains of bacteria...

Its probably like my freezer, there's probably a million year old 90% empty bag of frozen peas in there somewhere.

Seriously, I was so excited to hear about this!!

13th November 2009, 12:27 PM	#1
BenBurch Gatekeeper of The Left Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Universe 35.2 ms ahead of this one. Posts: 32,492	LCROSS did find water http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-69977192.html
	__________________ Are you IN? Join the IN crowd now!

13th November 2009, 12:32 PM	#2
John Jones Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3,823	I saw the broadcast live. They found water, and sodium, and probably methane, methanol, ethanol, CO₂, and SO₂. Exciting stuff.
John Jones Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3,823

13th November 2009, 12:33 PM	#3
BenBurch Gatekeeper of The Left Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Universe 35.2 ms ahead of this one. Posts: 32,492	Originally Posted by John Jones I saw the broadcast live. They found water, and sodium, and probably methane, methanol, ethanol, CO₂, and SO₂. Exciting stuff. I wonder if the organics hint at biology?
	__________________ Are you IN? Join the IN crowd now!

13th November 2009, 12:40 PM	#4
John Jones Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3,823	Originally Posted by BenBurch I wonder if the organics hint at biology? I kinda doubt it, but it adds another chapter to our understanding of lunar geology. The NASA guys remarked that traces of these organic compounds were found on the Apollo moon rocks, but they assumed it was due to contamination. But still, they found water.
John Jones Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3,823

13th November 2009, 12:57 PM	#6
BTMO Overlord of the Underthings Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 2,356	They need dowswers on the moon. The scientists would swoon. They could find strange things, With bent wire and rings, And sing a dowsing tune...
	__________________ Insert pithy saying here

13th November 2009, 12:40 PM	#5
drkitten Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Wits' End Posts: 21,647	Originally Posted by BenBurch I wonder if the organics hint at biology? Not to me they don't. Too simple.

13th November 2009, 02:44 PM	#7
Earthborn Terrestrial Intelligence Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Terra Firma Posts: 5,675	I was dowsing on the moon one day In the merry merry month of May -- No, december! -- I was taken by surprise By a beauty queen of ice In a moment my poor heart was stole away A smile was all she gave to me Of course we were as happy as can be I immediately raised my visor And she seemed even nicer I never shall forget That lovely afternoon I met her at the fountain on the moon I was dowsing on the moon one day In the merry merry month of May -- no, october! -- I was taken by surprise By something to electrolyse To rocket fuel to send me on my way...
	__________________ Perhaps nothing is entirely true; and not even that! Multatuli

13th November 2009, 02:57 PM	#8
Skeptic Guy Raccoon Death Squad Leader Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Southeast of Disorder Posts: 6,996	There were cows on the moon.
	__________________ "Our history is in part a battle to the death of inadequate myths" - Carl Sagan Even Mother Teresa^WP doubted.

13th November 2009, 06:02 PM	#9
Just thinking Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,169	It's pee from ancient astronauts. (They were looking for a dark place where no one would see them going.)
	__________________ Our greatest challenge is not just to ask the important questions, but to recognize the meaningless ones. Last edited by Just thinking; 13th November 2009 at 06:03 PM.

13th November 2009, 07:42 PM	#10
shadron Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 5,719	With any bad lock at all they'll find that that happened to be the one crater that the Lunarians used as a municipal swimming pool.

13th November 2009, 08:00 PM	#11
CapelDodger Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Cardiff, South Wales Posts: 16,760	Originally Posted by BenBurch I wonder if the organics hint at biology? At such low levels they indicate (to my mind) slow processes over very long periods of time, not necessarily in situ.
	__________________ It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward - Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) God can make a cow out of a tree, but has He ever done so? Therefore show some reason why a thing is so, or cease to hold that it is so - William of Conches, c1150

14th November 2009, 05:36 AM	#12
Aitch Guest Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: StAines Posts: 2,731	Even Google is commemorating it.

14th November 2009, 05:49 AM	#13
Foolmewunz Grammar Resistance Leader Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Posts: 20,870	This is exciting! It's also at times like this that I regret having a moral streak. How long before someone comes out with AquaLuna^TM, in nice designer bottles and promoted as "Using the exact formula as the water on the moon. Why AquaLuna^TM will refresh your thirst like nothing on this world."
	__________________ Ha! Foolmewunz has just been added to the list of people who aren't complete idiots. Hokulele Don't you wish someone had slapped baby Hitler really really hard? [i] Dr. Buzzo 02/13 [i]

14th November 2009, 05:58 AM	#14
pgwenthold Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 12,119	Alcohol on the moon? Means only one thing... ROAD TRIP!!!!!
	__________________ "Baseball is a philosophy. The primordial ooze that once ruled our world has been captured in perpetual motion. Baseball is the moment. Its ever changing patterns are hypnotizing yet invigorating. Baseball is an art form. Classic and at the same time...progressive. Baseball is pre-historic and post-modern. Baseball is here to stay." (Stolen from the side of a lava lamp box, and modified slightly)

14th November 2009, 10:58 PM	#15
R.Mackey Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The armpit of L.A. Posts: 7,857	This is actually a far more exciting discovery than most realize. The media has been playing up the notion of using lunar water for supplying astronauts and rockets, which is itself quite exciting. However, to me, the science potential is even more significant. It appears the lunar craters consist of catch basins -- totally out of sunlight, screened from most ionizing radiation, eternally stable in their extreme low temperature. Over the eons, they've collected water, or ancient water has remained. Which is it? This alone is a huge question with strong implications for the formation of the Moon and the very early state of the Earth. More interesting, however, is that water isn't all that's down there. There's a whole lot more. A few years ago we flew a mission called Genesis and another called Stardust that were designed, respectively, to capture dust blowing in planetary space off of the Sun, and to capture material flaking off of comets. This gives us clues about the content of the Sun and the ancient state of our solar system, long before the planets formed. This helps answer questions of isotopic balance, star cycle, presence and origin of organics, and potentially the origin of life itself. Now imagine, instead of these spacecraft with brief life spans, we have a collector several kilometers across that we leave running for billions of years. That's what the shadowed lunar craters now appear to represent. It'll be a while before we get to it, but this is exciting stuff.
	__________________ "Nothing real can defeat us. Nothing unreal exists." -B. Banzai VT VENIANT OMNES

14th November 2009, 11:52 PM	#16
Belgian thought Muse Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 682	Poor old Partick Moore who last week on Sky at Night said that if indeed they found water on the moon from the LCROSS mission, he would eat his hat. P.S. Herge's Tintin found ice way back in 1954
Belgian thought Muse Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 682

15th November 2009, 05:53 AM	#17
BenBurch Gatekeeper of The Left Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Universe 35.2 ms ahead of this one. Posts: 32,492	These cold traps likely also contain a considerable amount of material relating to the history of Earth. For example, every time a large enough rock hits the earth, material is thrown back into space, and some winds up on the moon. In the cold traps, volatiles and maybe even organics might be preserved. Possibly even the remains of bacteria...
	__________________ Are you IN? Join the IN crowd now!

15th November 2009, 09:32 AM	#18
Ness36 Thinker Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: the dirty south Posts: 185	Originally Posted by BenBurch These cold traps likely also contain a considerable amount of material relating to the history of Earth. For example, every time a large enough rock hits the earth, material is thrown back into space, and some winds up on the moon. In the cold traps, volatiles and maybe even organics might be preserved. Possibly even the remains of bacteria... Its probably like my freezer, there's probably a million year old 90% empty bag of frozen peas in there somewhere. Seriously, I was so excited to hear about this!!