Scientists used to say there were millions of tons of ice in the permanently shadowed craters of the moon’s poles.<br />Now, HuffPost reports a pair of studies in the journal Nature Astronomy says there's far, far more potential water available. Twenty percent more, to be exact.<br />A team led by the University of Colorado's Paul Hayne says more than 15,400 square miles of lunar terrain have the capability to trap water in the form of ice.<br />However, lead researcher Casey Honniball says the molecules are so far apart that they are in neither liquid nor solid form.<br />To be clear, this is not puddles of water. Casey Honniball, Lead Researcher Postdoctoral fellow, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland<br />Greater access to water could allow astronauts and robots more places to land, and support future lunar bases.<br />Scientists believe the moon's water came from comets, asteroids, interplanetary dust, solar wind, or even lunar volcanic eruptions.
