In 2011 , NASA’sMESSENGER(Mercury Surface , Space Environment , Geochemistry and Ranging ) investigation confirm previous Earth - base detections ofwater icefrom Mercury ’s North Pole . A passably unexpected breakthrough for a planet with a daytime temperature of around 400 ° C ( 750 ° F ) .
Until now , the scientific consensus suggested that most of Mercury ’s water was delivered by asteroids , similar to water ’s arrival on Earth . However , a new chemical mechanism , proposed by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology , suggests Mercury itself is a “ gigantic ice - making chemical science lab , ” aided by its stellar neighbour , the Sun . This process could easily describe for up to 10 percent of Mercury ’s total ice , the researchers say .
" This is not some strange , out of left field musical theme . The canonical chemical substance mechanics has been observed dozens of clock time in sketch since the late 1960s , " Brant Jones , a research worker in Georgia Tech ’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the report ’s first author , said in astatement . " But that was on well - defined surfaces . Applying that chemical science to complicated surfaces like those on a planet is groundbreaking research . "
The operation , detailed inAstrophysical Journal Letters , begin with the delivery of proton to Mercury ’s control surface via substantial solar winds .
" These are like big magnetic tornados , and they cause huge proton migration across most of the control surface of Mercury over time , " Thomas Orlando , a prof in Georgia Tech ’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the study ’s principal research worker , explained .
Having embedded themselves about 10 nanometers deep into the satellite ’s surface , the protons produce chemically unchanging mineral - leap hydroxyl group ( OH ) . Due to the utmost heat on the planet , these entity are free up and smash together , result in the production of piss molecules and hydrogen .
In the model , these molecule drift around Mercury , where they are either break down by sunlight , climb far above the aerofoil , or estate in the satellite ’s diametrical regions . Lying in the permanent shadows of craters , the mote are shield from the Sun . In the -200 ° C ( -328 ° F ) temperature , the water molecules become part of the gelid glacial ice rink .
" It ’s a little like the song Hotel California . The pee molecules can control in to the shadow but they can never leave , " Orlando joked .
All this talk of Crater may have you enquire whether this same mechanics is applicable to another impacted celestial body , our Moon . Although they ’re roughly similar in size of it , have no substantial atmosphere , and haveice depositsin their polar volcanic crater where the Sun never shines , the research worker say that their poser would not be compatible with the Moon .
" The process in our model would not be anywhere close as fertile on the Moon . For one , there ’s not enough heat to significantly trip the chemistry , " Jones said . However , on Mercury the researchers call for that the process would yield around 1013kilograms ( 10,000,000,000,000 kilo or 11,023,110,000 tons ) of ice , over a period of about 3 million years .
" I would concede that plenty of the piss on Mercury was delivered by impact asteroids , " Jones remarked , " but there ’s also the question of where asteroid laden with water got that water . process like these could have facilitate make it . "
Orlando ’s lab is now count to tap this chemical unconscious process to facilitate generate piss in future human deputation to the Moon .
