Water ‘reservoir’ discovered on the moon: ‘Substantial quantities’

Their find was out of this world.

Scientists revealed Monday that they have discovered a new “reservoir” of water located on the moon’s surface.

China’s lunar lander Chang’e 5 found and collected soil samples with impact glass beads containing “substantial quantities” of water, according to a report published in Nature Geoscience.

The beads of glass are created when an asteroid strikes the surface of the moon and creates molten droplets, which then freeze and join the soil and dust on the moon’s surface, according to the researchers.

They estimate that the impact beads — spread across the moon’s surface — could be holding up to 270 billion tons of water.

“The impact glass beads preserve hydration signatures and display water abundance profiles consistent with the inward diffusion of solar wind-derived water,” reads the study.

While the specific origins of the lunar surface water remain “largely unknown,” the report does theorize about several potential sources that may have “contributed” to the water source, including: “(1) solar wind implantation, (2) outgassing of volatiles during lunar volcanism, (3) deposition of volatile-bearing pyroclastic deposits and minerals and (4) delivery by impacts of comets and asteroids.”

The Post has reached out to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for comment.