-
Dec17
Organic Matters Reportedly Found on the Moon
Filed under: Science & Technology, Space Science; Tagged as: bangalore india, Chandrayaan, chemical signatures, discovery news, finding water, indian researchers, indian space research, indian space research organization, isro, lunar crater, lunar orbiter, meteorite impacts, nasa scientists, organic compounds, organic materials, rocket body, s south, south pole, space research organization, surendra, wargoNo Comments
Indian researchers say they have found organic matter on the moon, a discovery that may be seconded by U.S. teams analyzing a plume of debris kicked up by the deliberate crash of a rocket body into a lunar crater.Finding organic materials on the moon could help scientists understand the history of comet and meteorite impacts, as well as provide valuable resources for future lunar travelers or colonies.
Indian Space Research Organization scientists announced last week that a probe dispatched from the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter detected chemical signatures of organic matter. The Moon Impact Probe, or MIP, separated from the Chandrayaan-1 orbiter on Nov. 14, 2008, and flew into Shackleton Crater, located on the moon’s south pole.
NASA followed with a similar mission in October that excavated a much larger debris plume from the crater Cabeus, also located on the moon’s south pole. Both teams reported finding water.
ISRO’s Surendra Pal said at a conference in Bangalore, India, last week that MIP also found organic compounds, though scientists were still working to confirm the results.
“It is an intriguing suggestion,” NASA’s chief lunar scientist Michael Wargo told Discovery News. “We are certainly very interested in learning more of their results.”
NASA scientists, meanwhile, are continuing to scrutinize data collected by the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and other probes which watched as a 2.5-ton empty rocket body smashed into the floor of Cabeus, kicking soil and ice past the crater’s rim and into sunlight for the first time in billions of years.
Organic compounds are composed of carbon in combination with other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Although they form the building blocks of life, they do not necessarily come from actual organisms.
Instead, they could have been created in outer space through chemical reactions and later delivered to the moon by comets or meteorites. One particular type of organic compound, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, has been found in a wide variety of space environments.
NASA previously found molecules of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in lunar soil samples brought back to Earth during the Apollo missions of 1969 -1972, but the concentrations were extremely sparse. No complex compounds were found, although they likely were delivered to the moon by meteorites crashing into the lunar surface.
“Apparently, the harsh surface conditions destroy the more complex molecules exposed to space,” Paul Spudis, senior scientist with the Houston-based Lunar and Planetary Institute, wrote in an email to Discovery News.
The moon’s cold spots are different, he added.
“We’ve suspected that they might contain organic molecules for the same reason that water ice is there — they are protected by the extreme cold,” Spudis said.
Initial results from LCROSS show some organic material was present in the debris plume, though exactly what and how much has not yet been determined.
Tags: bangalore india, Chandrayaan, chemical signatures, discovery news, finding water, indian researchers, indian space research, indian space research organization, isro, lunar crater, lunar orbiter, meteorite impacts, nasa scientists, organic compounds, organic materials, rocket body, s south, south pole, space research organization, surendra, wargo
Related posts:
Leave a Reply
Site Status
Freelance Jobs At Scriptlance
- Clone Value-domain Tools Site Need a CMS website value- domain tools site. I need the design and features of www.sitelogr.com. (This script must be able to pull out different website data and post inside mysql database and on the site, this script should work amazingly fast and be completely bug-free. It must be easy to use some include function on any site and upload the script file to the server / install the db – and make the script show the scrapped/generated data.) SEO friendly links, AJAX, commented code/or docume…
- Wordpress MakoverI have an existing WP Template that needs to have some changes made. FAST. As in the next 1-2 days. I'm looking for someone who has 10-20 hours free this week. There will be ongoing work on this site. And I have other sites that need periodic maintenance. And I develop a new site every few months. If this goes well, I will have other work for you to do. Send me some examples of WP work you've done. I'd like to see that you know how to modify themes. Also looking for tips on plug-ins. …
- Clone Site And Applications We require a Complete Clone of www.studiom.com.au's site including the Envisage application. 1) I want a website with a strong CMS at the backend for us to upload text, images, videos on the site. There will also be a blog section in the front end. 2) We need an application like Envisage where a user visiting the site will be able to select the exterior, interior,kitchen etc of a house(Which we will supply for you to implement) and change its look by selecting and assigning material of th…
- Need 2000 Members 4 Social NetI just finished setting up a new social networking site and need vto jumpstart the site with at least 2000 – 3000 members – so this is for someone who is good at diverting traffic or who has a social site that he wants to move to a new platform… This is also geographical area specific
- Phpmotion/calender/flowplayer1) Replace Phpmotion video player with flowplayer. 2) Integrate and set me up to be able to stream live video on the main player, also ability to have links/ads/commercials on the player. (Maybe a chat box under the live video, but not a current necessity.) 3) A dynamic ad box next to the live feed that I can manually post links as the live feed plays. 4) Add an extra advertising slot below the video player. 5) Add an extra advertising slot on the members profile page. Top and Side. 5) B…
- Embed Email Subs. + Rss TickerA campaign to re-legalize hemp in one state needs to build an email list of supporters quickly. PART 1 We imagine an email subscription box with two links at the bottom, one says info and leads to the site, the other says embed and will open to display the code so supporters can post the subscription box on their site. The background of the email box would be a design that relates to the site and inspires action in supporters. Info collected will need to be name and email address. All data w…
- Swoopo.com Auctions CloneIm looking for a team to develop a swoopo.com auctions clone in functions with a new aspect and in spanish language (translations could be done by me) I dont think that i have to give more details , just visit the web to see the features.
- Tv On Pc SoftwareLooking to rebrand a TV on PC Software application. The app should be windows XP – windows 7 Compatible. I will also need monthly channel updates. If you have a Mac version I would also be interested. I am not looking to make something from scratch so please dont ask. If you have please open a PMB with more details. Sample of the App is a plus.
- Website Design WorkHello, I am looking for an experienced Web designer to build some simple website pages as a test with the intention to have him build sites on a fulltime basis. The designer should have excellent experience with Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, CSS, & other web designing tools. Joomla experience would be an asset. I am only looking for experienced designers that can build html (with flash, etc.) professional sites in excellent time frames (1 day for 3 pages if i give you an exact example s…
- Web Template Html+css+jqueryWe have built a Job Board site, and are looking for someone to help us out with the design part of the site. CSS+HTML+JQuery for the job board template. This is what we expect: – main welcome page +++ header >>>>> company logo on the left end >>>>> login fields on the right end >>>>> horizontal menu bar +++ left sidebar >>>>> Quicklinks >>>>> latest members with logo +++ main area >>>>> list of lates…
Partner links
Breaking News
- Now, Baba Ramdev is talking politics
Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev hints at entering politics, to launch his own party. Baba Ramdev says he wants to ‘cleanse’ the system. The yoga guru would field candidates in all Lok Sabha constituencies.
… - Youthful edge to Gadkari's new teamBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced the party’s new team of office bearers, thereby ending a three-month long suspense. Gadkari’s jumbo team, includes 13 vice presidents, 10 general secretaries, 15 secretaries and a treasurer.…
Our Friends
Twitter links powered by Tweet This v1.6.1, a WordPress plugin for Twitter.