Scientists Discover Moon Survival Breakthrough
- Settlements on the moon are classic science fiction settings, but despite purported attempts by NASA to build homes on the moon, we've never really come close to building...
- You can't create such a system without access to the elements in air.
- Scientists discovered Earth's atmosphere is a source of elements found on the moon.Analyses of lunar regolith - the moon's version of soil - reveal traces of nitrogen, carbon...
Settlements on the moon are classic science fiction settings, but despite purported attempts by NASA to build homes on the moon, we’ve never really come close to building one. It’s not hard to see why the goal of lunar colonization has remained out of reach; Earth’s natural satellite lacks the life-giving resources of the planet it orbits. Not only does the moon lack any liquid water,but its atmosphere is so thin that it’s basically like being in a vacuum. The frist requirement of any potential moon settlement would have to be a system for generating breathable air.
You can’t create such a system without access to the elements in air. It has generally been assumed that in order to create breathable air on the moon, we would have to import particles from our own atmosphere to get the process started. shipping a portion of Earth’s atmosphere to the moon would be incredibly expensive adn inefficient.
Scientists discovered Earth’s atmosphere is a source of elements found on the moon.Analyses of lunar regolith - the moon’s version of soil – reveal traces of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, argon, and water, all key components of Earth’s atmosphere.
Researchers at the University of Rochester found solar winds, traveling at 1 million miles per hour, carry these atmospheric elements from Earth to the moon. A previous theory suggested this transfer stopped when Earth developed its magnetic field roughly 4 billion years ago.Though, simulations show Earth’s magnetic field may actually facilitate the transfer. Charged particles can travel along magnetic field lines extending to the moon.
What is the significance of this discovery?
This research suggests a continuous exchange of atmospheric elements between Earth and the moon. Understanding this process could be crucial for future lunar colonization efforts, perhaps providing resources for sustaining human life on the moon.
Learn more about Earth’s magnetic field here.