NASA Briefs Preliminary Plume Findings from Moon Mission |
NASA Briefs Preliminary Plume Findings from Moon Mission |
Nov 10 2009, 09:26 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 239 Joined: 18-December 07 From: New York Member No.: 3982 |
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Nov 20 2009, 03:52 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 401 Joined: 5-January 07 From: Manchester England Member No.: 1563 |
New scientist has confused me. I know I shouldn't put too much faith in what they report these days but they've said:
QUOTE The solar wind is expected to form water in minute amounts, amounting to concentrations of no more than 1 per cent in the lunar soil. LCROSS team members are still analysing the data, but calculations suggest the concentration of water is higher than that. "The data are consistent with a total hydrogen content in the range of several per cent," says Colaprete. This is from their report on the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group meeting, so I was hoping for some interesting tidbits, but I'm just confused! Is the water content several percent, or the hydrogen content? Does anyone know of any other reports from the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group? -------------------- |
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Nov 20 2009, 04:01 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2542 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
New scientist has confused me. I'll spare you my opinion of the subject publication... I think it's premature to discuss the LCROSS results before a peer-reviewed paper is published. IMHO, the LCROSS team didn't do anyone any favors announcing their preliminary results at a press conference. -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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Nov 20 2009, 06:20 PM
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 507 Joined: 10-September 08 Member No.: 4338 |
I think it's premature to discuss the LCROSS results before a peer-reviewed paper is published. IMHO, the LCROSS team didn't do anyone any favors announcing their preliminary results at a press conference. I disagree. The press conference did no harm and gave the public, who paid for the mission, exactly what they needed. This mission was funded, by the way, by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, not the Science Mission Directorate. The papers and conference reports, when they appear, will give the science community what they need. The New Scientist article seems to plainly say that the hydrogen concentration, not the water concentration, was several percent, but obviously any report in a popular magazine should be viewed with due skepticism. |
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Nov 20 2009, 06:52 PM
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#5
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2542 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
The press conference did no harm and gave the public, who paid for the mission, exactly what they needed. Well, I have some residual concerns about the detection methodology, and I don't think anyone knows if the amount of water detected was useful for resource exploitation or just a scientific curiosity. I'd think the public deserves the answer to that basic question. -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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