A Wet Moon?

In spite of their heated arguments about the moon's origin, history and composition, lunar scientists usually agree on one point; that the moon is a bleak, waterless place, a million times dryer, as one researcher put it, than the Gobi Desert. That idea was challenged last week, as two Rice University scientists disclosed that they had detected the first evidence of water on the moon.

The provocative report came from Physicists John Freeman and H. Kent Hills. They have been keeping track of signals from extremely sensitive devices left behind at the Apollo landing sites and capable of detecting positive ions, atoms or molecules carrying a positive electrical charge. On at least three occasions, the scientists say, the detectors registered activity that was unusual on the atmosphereless moon: clouds of gases were passing by. Analyzing the data, the scientists determined that the gases had the unmistakable characteristics of ionized water vapor.

Even more intriguing, the greatest flow of gases was detected last March 7, when the seismometers left on the moon were registering strong rumblings in the lunar interior. Convinced that the timing of the seismic activity and ion flows was more than coincidental, Freeman concluded that water may well have burst forth from the moon in geyser-like eruptions, an event that would have been recorded by the seismometers.

Then, as the water rose and became a vapor, it also quickly ionized in the strong ultraviolet radiation from the sun, acquired a positive charge and registered on the ion detectors.

If water is in fact locked inside the moon, its presence may be confirmed by electronic surveying gear aboard next year's Apollo 17 flight. Such water could have significance for future lunar explorers and colonizers, who would be relieved of the considerable problem of bringing their supply all the way from earth.

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