New Evidence of Ice Beneath the Moon's Surface Discovered by Chandrayaan-2
Exploring Lunar Ice Potential
Scientists analyzing data from India's Chandrayaan-2 mission have uncovered new evidence suggesting the possible presence of ice beneath the surface near the Moon's southern polar region. This significant finding emerged from a detailed analysis conducted by researchers at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, utilizing observations from the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) aboard the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. The research focused on permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) located near the Moon's south pole—areas that never receive sunlight and are among the coldest spots in the solar system.
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According to a press release from ISRO, scientists meticulously examined small craters described as "double-shadowed craters" that are situated within larger, permanently shadowed craters.
Extremely Low Temperatures
These regions are shielded from both sunlight and thermal radiation, resulting in extremely low temperatures, approximately 25 Kelvin. Such conditions make these areas ideal for preserving icy water for extended periods. The DFSAR instrument on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter played a crucial role in this study. It is the first fully polarized synthetic aperture radar designed to study the Moon, operating at L- and S-band microwave frequencies. This instrument enabled scientists to investigate the Moon's surface and observe how radar signals behave when reflected from below the ground.
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Using advanced radar polarimetric analysis, researchers identified radar patterns consistent with the potential presence of ice beneath the surface of four double-shadowed craters located in the Moon's southern polar region. This study also introduces a more refined radar-based method for identifying potential underground ice reserves. According to the researchers, a circular polarization ratio (CPR) value greater than 1 and a degree of polarization (DOP) value less than 0.13 may indicate volumetric scattering associated with underground ice reserves.