NASA LRO Finds Further Evidence of Water On The Moon

Scientists from NASA and Boston University have found small patches of ice in the Shackleton Crater, at the south pole of the Moon.

Five to 10 percent of the crater wall is made of ice, they said, after analyzing data obtained from the Mini-RF radar on Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

"These terrific results from the Mini-RF team contribute to the evolving story of water on the moon. Several of the instruments on LRO have made unique contributions to this story, but only the radar penetrates beneath the surface to look for signatures of blocky ice deposits," said John Keller, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Scientists believe that because the interior of the Shackleton crater lies in permanent shadow it is cold enough for ice to accumulate.

"Inside the crater, we don't see evidence for glaciers like on earth. Glacial ice has a whopping radar signal, and these measurements reveal a much weaker signal consistent with rugged terrain and limited ice," said Bradley Thomson, researcher at Boston University.