Bombarding of asteroids may have made Moon's atmosphere elusive, almost non-existent': Study

The thin and elusive atmosphere of the Moon has puzzled astronomers for centuries.

There is a definite lack of breathable air on the satellite, however, it does have a thin film of atoms that are found skittering along its craggy surface.

In scientific terms, this is called an “exosphere” which is a tenuous atmosphere that has been a topic of intrigue for all astronomers since it was first found in the 1980s.

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Assistant professor in MIT’sDepartment of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Nicole Nie said that unique insights have now been found in the atmosphere of the Moon.

The study was carried out by Nie along with her team at the University of Chicagoand NASAGoddard Space Flight Centre.

Here's what scientists found about Moon's elusive atmosphere

The team of scientists in the research found that the atmosphere of the Moon has undergone a bombarding of the meteorites which has led to the phenomenon known as "impact vaporization."

In this process, the impact kicks up the lunar soil and leads to the vaporising materials which either escape to space or remain in a suspended position in the atmosphere of the moon which renews its exosphere.

"We give a definitive answer that meteorite impact vaporisation is the dominant process that creates the lunar atmosphere," said team leader Nicole Nie, an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),in a statement.

"Themoon is close to 4.5 billion years old, and through that time, the surface has been continuously bombarded by meteorites. We show that eventually, a thin atmosphere reaches a steady state because it's being continuously replenished bysmall impacts all over the moon," Nie said

"With impact vaporisation, most of the atoms would stay in the lunar atmosphere, whereas with ion sputtering, a lot of atoms would be ejected into space," she added.

Here's how the study opens avenues for exploration of Moon's atmosphere

Commenting on the study, lunar soils researcher at Cambridge University Justin Hu said, "The discovery of such a subtle effect is remarkable, thanks to the innovative idea of combining potassium and rubidium isotope measurements along with careful, quantitative modelling."

"This discovery goes beyond understanding themoon's history, as such processes could occur and might be more significant on other moons and asteroids, which are the focus of many planned return missions," he added.

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The groundbreaking study has now opened a new avenue of astronomy.

“Without these Apollo samples, we would not be able to get precise data and measure quantitatively to understand things in more detail,” Nie said.

“It’s important for us to bring samples back from the moon and otherplanetary bodies, so we can draw clearer pictures of the solar system’s formation and evolution," she added.

(With inputs from agencies)