water on the moon

Scientists previously discovered ice present near the moon’s poles. More recently, its been learned that liquid water exists within the lunar surface material, called regolith. The LRO has revealed that the water present on the moon’s surface actually moves around during lunar daytime.

A study on the moisture of the moon to be published in Geophysical Research Letters paints a vivid picture of the life water molecules on the surface. NASA sums up the water’s behavior as follows:

Water molecules remain tightly bound to the regolith 
until surface temperatures peak near lunar noon. Then, 
molecules thermally desorb and can bounce to a nearby 
location that is cold enough for the molecule to stick 
or populate the moon’s extremely tenuous atmosphere or 
exosphere, until temperatures drop and the molecules 
return to the surface.

Pretty cool.