Study Finds Lunar Ice Concentrated in Oldest Craters
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- International team of scientists published a Nature Astronomy study that rules out a single comet impact and suggests lunar water ice built up gradually over up to 3.5 billion years.
- Paul Hayne (University of Colorado Boulder) noted that the Moon’s oldest craters contain the most ice, implying continuous accumulation over billions of years.
- Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter detected ice signatures in permanently shadowed craters, especially those identified as the oldest and darkest.
- Diviner temperature data and computer simulations were used to map “cold traps” that have remained in permanent shadow the longest, correlating with ice‑rich sites.
- Haworth Crater near the South Pole, in shadow for >3 billion years, is highlighted as a top candidate for substantial ice deposits.
- Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System (L‑CIRiS) is being developed to obtain detailed observations of ice‑bearing craters and is slated for deployment near the Moon’s South Pole in late 2027.
- Oded Aharonson (Weizmann Institute) emphasized that confirming the water source will require sample analysis either on the Moon or returned to Earth.
Why it matters: Astronauts and future lunar missions gain a clear target for water extraction, as the study pinpoints specific ancient craters—like Haworth—that likely hold abundant ice, while the need for in‑situ sample analysis underscores the urgency of deploying new instruments such as L‑CIRiS.
