Scientists have found water on the sunlit surface of the moon.

Scientists have discovered the presence of water on the sunlit surface of the Moon using the SOFIA Telescope.

Scientists have discovered the presence of water on the sunlit surface of the Moon using the SOFIA Telescope.Earlier it was thought that the moon's surface was completely dry. Subsequent missions confirmed ice in permanently shadowed craters around the Moon’s poles. According to the space agency, those missions were unable to definitively distinguish the form in which it was present – either H2O or OH. However, the recent observations using NASA's SOFIA telescope has confirmed the presence of water molecules in Clavius Crater, located in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. The discovery indicated that water might be distributed across the lunar surface and not limited to cold, shadowed places.

The data from that location reveal water in concentrations of 100 to 412 parts per million, roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce bottle of water trapped in a cubic meter of soil spread across the lunar surface. The observations mention that SOFIA could pick up the specific wavelength unique to water molecules, at 6.1 microns, and discovered a relatively surprising concentration in sunny Clavius Crater.