Water found in lunar rocks casts scientists' moon origin theory adrift

Scientists have long believed the moon was formed by debris created when a Mars-sized object collided with Earth. But the discovery of a significant amount of water in moon rocks collected by astronauts on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions might have thrown cold water on that theory. In the impact scenario, water in the debris that formed the moon would have been cast off before it coalesced, and any water found in moon rocks would have come later. But a new study has found pure water elements deep in the rock, indicating they have probably been there all along. Scientists now say that while the impact theory still seems likely, it probably needs to be revised to take into account the new findings. [Source]

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