Classroom Questions

Questions for “There’s water on sunny parts of the moon, scientists confirm”

Past observations of the moon have suggested that there is water on the lunar surface. New observations from the SOFIA telescope back up those findings.  

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By Science News Explores

To accompany “There’s water on sunny parts of the moon, scientists confirm”

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

1.  How far away from Earth is the moon?

2.  Why are scientists always searching for evidence of water on other worlds?

During Reading:

1.  What is the name of the telescope that researchers used to detect water on the sun-drenched southern pole of Earth’s moon?  

2.  What generated the infrared signal that led scientists to believe they had found water molecules near Clavius crater?  

3.  What do scientists say is the concentration of water in parts per million around that crater?

4.  Around which parts of the moon are scientists more likely to find frozen water?

5.  Are the newly discovered water molecules frozen, liquid, or something else?

6.  How might have hydrogen ions from the charged particles of the sun played a role in the formation of water on the moon’s surface?

After Reading:

1.  Why is the discovery of water on the moon important to the future of space exploration, especially to planets such as Mars? Explain your answer.