Usually the Sun is considered as an enemy of water, as its rays cause evaporation of moisture. But sometimes it can act as its Creator. Recently the American scientists have found that stocks of water on the moon could be the result of the impact of the solar wind. Portable them hydrogen ions could be combined with oxygen on the surface of the satellite.

That the Moon is not as dry as I think many of those who admires her in the twilight, scientists knew a long time ago. Back in 1976 domestic apparatus "Luna-24" delivered to Earth soil samples in which a group of researchers under the guidance of Maya Ahmedovoy found traces of this fluid (about 0.1%). It is noteworthy that earlier Americans found water in the samples of the lunar soil delivered to the Earth during the mission program "Apollo", but due to the fact that the containers were not sealed, all agreed that this water has an earthly origin.

However, the opening of Soviet scientists for a long time did not attach any particular significance. Until journey on our companion in 1998 the American probe Lunar Prospector about the possibility of finding water on the moon's surface and no one remembered. And only when he by studying the polar regions of the satellite, found a real polar cap with ice deposits on the moon water spoke seriously.

However, in order to prove the existence of the satellite is required for life substance, had to make many different studies. In 2008, Americans again found traces of water in lunar soil, and a year later the probe "chandrayan-1" has detected about 600 million tons of water, much of which is in the form of ice blocks resting on the bottom of craters of our satellite. Since none of the scientists is already no doubt that the moon is somewhat crude, and moreover, each year receives more and more data about the moon moisture.

However, the presence of water on the moon does not explain where it came from there. The idea is that a certain amount of moisture had to stand out from the lunar crust when the satellite was just being created (similar processes were going on Earth, resulting in now and she is the proud name of "the Blue planet"). However, this primary water could not dwell long on it - because the Moon is quite small for what would be holding about a thick atmosphere, which would protect the water from the evaporation under the influence of solar rays.

There was speculation about what may water on our companion brought comets that occasionally faced with this celestial body. This is possible in principle - a large number of craters on its surface are good evidence that in the past the Moon was heavily bombed. It is not excluded, that among these "shells" could be and comets, the water of which remained on the satellite and after the collision.

However, in this version there is one weak spot - and the same as the previous. Suppose that in its time the comet did get to the moon water. However, it also has long had to evaporate under the action of sunlight because of them the surface of the satellite has almost no protection. And in order to replenish the water, the comet should fall on the moon quite often (about once in a hundred years), which, as we know, does not happen - otherwise people would have noticed similar to "cosmic accidents".

So, still a clear answer to the question, "where did the moon come from water, staying there today" -alas, does not exist. However, in the late 70-ies of the last century Russian scientists, modeling various processes occurring on the surface of our satellite, suggested the following. It is possible that hydrogen ions (protons) from the solar wind, constantly "coming to" the moon, can be combined with oxygen on the surface of the satellite and to form water, and related compounds hydroxyl group. No theoretical ban on such action, you know, no, but it was only a hypothesis, which, like all the assumptions needed in the actual proof.

And recently, such evidence is finally presented. An employee of the University of Tennessee (USA) Professor Liu Yang and her colleagues conducted a new survey of soil samples that were delivered to Earth during the mission of the project "Apollo". The researchers used such modern methods as infrared spectroscopy and secondary ion mass-spectrometry - this was done in order to determine the form of hydrogen, as well as its quantity and isotopic composition.

The results showed that indeed all the hydrogen in the hydroxyl compounds in the vitreous formation of regolith (the so-called grain debris-dust layer of the lunar soil) has "solar ' origin. That is, the protons were on our companion it with the solar wind and nothing else. Well and if to consider, that the regolith is on the moon everywhere, and on his glassy form (agglutinates) accounts for about fifty percent, it can be concluded that, apparently, the entire lunar water really was formed under the action of the solar wind.

On the other hand, scientists still have checked all the same common ground, not ice deposits. Therefore, to make General conclusions while early. However, it is possible that ice in permanently shadowed polar craters of the moon can also contain hydrogen atoms, which are "flew" at our companion straight from the star. Just in the usual places moon formed water immediately evaporated, but the craters due to the fact that the beams were not able to reach it, kept it in the form "icebergs".

"Our study proved the possibility of such method of formation of water on small objects in the Solar system actually refers not only to the moon. Now we can assume the presence of water on mercury and on asteroids, such as Vesta, or Eros. All of them very different conditions on the surface, but it is possible to produce water with solar wind", - so has commented on results of work itself Ms. Liu. She also added that now using probes to find out if these objects hydroxyl compounds and is it a part of their structure hydrogen attitude to the solar wind protons.

If this assumption is confirmed, then the solar wind, which often gets us in a lot of trouble, can be called the main manufacturer of water in the Solar system. And here is the paradox - usually our star is considered as an enemy of water. However, as you can see, sometimes it can act as its Creator...