Question: which of the following lunar probe, sent by the China, has discovered first ever on-site evidence of water on the surface of the Moon?
a) Chang’e 5
b) Chang’e 4
c) Chang’e 3
d) Yutu- 2
Answer: (a)
Related Facts:-
- China’s Chang’e 5 lunar lander has found the first-ever on-site evidence of water on the surface of the moon.
- This new discovery provided new evidence to the dryness of the satellite.
- A study regarding this discovery was published on 8 January 2021, in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.
- The study revealed that the lunar soil at the landing site contains less than 120 parts-per-million (ppm) water, or 120 grams water per tonne.
- Researchers also calculated from the data that a light vesicular rock at the moon carries 180 ppm, which is much drier than rocks on Earth.
- The presence of water had been confirmed by remote observation but the lander has now detected signs of water in rocks and soil.
- A device on-board the lunar lander measured the spectral reflectance of the regolith and the rock and detected water on the spot for the first time.
- The presence of water had been confirmed by remote observation but the lander has now detected signs of water in rocks and soil.
- A device on-board the lunar lander measured the spectral reflectance of the regolith and the rock and detected water on the spot for the first time.
- Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) observed that the water content can be estimated since the water molecule or hydroxyl absorbs at a frequency of about three micrometers, the state-
- They cited that, it was the solar wind that contributed to the most humidity of lunar soil as it brought hydrogen that makes up the water.
- According to the researchers the additional 60 ppm water in the rock may originate from the lunar interior.
- Therefore, the rock is estimated to hail from an older, more humid basaltic unit before being ejected onto the landing site to be picked up by the lunar lander.
- The study revealed that the moon had turned drier within a certain period, owing probably to the degassing of its mantle reservoir.
- The Chang’e 5 spacecraft landed on one of the youngest mare basalts located at mid-high latitude on the moon.
- It measured water on the spot and retrieved samples weighing 1,731 grams.
- The returned samples are a mixture of granules both on the surface and beneath.
- Lin Hong lei, a researcher with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under CAS said that an in-situ probe can measure the outermost layer of the lunar surface.
By Rajesh Tripathi