Planets and Moons  ID: 20278

Water Released from Moon During Meteor Showers: Animations

Scientists have discovered that water is being released from the moon during meteor showers. When a speck of comet debris strikes the moon it vaporizes on impact, creating a shock wave in the lunar soil. For a sufficiently large impactor, this shock wave can breach the soil’s dry upper layer and release water molecules from a hydrated layer below. The LADEE spacecraft detects these water molecules as they enter the tenuous lunar atmosphere.
 

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Animation Credits

Lead Animator:
Brian Monroe (USRA)

Animator:
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (USRA)

Art Director:
Michael Lentz (USRA)

Producer:
Dan Gallagher (USRA)

Scientists:
Mehdi Benna (UMBC)
Dana Hurley (Johns Hopkins University/APL)
Richard Elphic (NASA/ARC)

Technical Support:
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab