NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has discovered water on the sunlit surface of the moon. The discovery has been published in the October 26 issue of Nature Astronomy.
![Earth's Moon](https://i0.wp.com/skeptastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FullMoon2010.jpg?resize=512%2C487&ssl=1)
SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747 with a 2.5m telescope on board that is tuned to focus on the infrared spectrum. Hydroxy groups have been found on the moon before, but the signal a 3µm could be H20 or it’s chemically similar OH group. But H20 has a specific vibration at 6 µm that is right in SOFIA’s wheelhouse.
Water was found to be present in quantities of 100 to 400 µg g−1. For comparison, the Sahara desert has about 100 times more water than was detected on the lunar surface.
![](https://i0.wp.com/skeptastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/sofiaoversierra.jpg?resize=1024%2C819&ssl=1)
Regardless, this is a fantastic discovery as to how water can exist in such a harsh environment.
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