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When it comes to space colonization, Mars is at the forefront of modern exploration.
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Meanwhile, our nearest celestial neighbor - the Moon - is seemingly overlooked.
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And that's, in part, because the Moon isn't exactly a haven for humanity.
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The lunar surface is covered with dead volcanoes, massive craters and potentially poisonous dust.
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It's also constantly bombarded by space rocks raining down on its surface due to its very
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thin and weak atmosphere known as an exosphere.
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On top of that, this ultra thin layer of gases
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doesn't provide any protection from the sun's radiation.
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But some scientists believe this wasn't always the case.
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Recent NASA findings show that there might have been a time when the Moon had a prominent
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atmosphere, and it could make the Moon a stronger contender for colonization.
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Billions of years ago, after the formation of the inner solar system, it's believed,
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that the young planets and the moon were pummeled by space rocks
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and other leftover planet-building material.
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The period known as the Late Heavy Bombardment or LBH is thought to have lasted millions
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of years, and damage from this violent period was seen in craters on some of the inner planets and the Moon.
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There, the LBH triggered a series of volcanic eruptions.
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Lava filled the lunar craters, creating seas that stretched for hundreds of kilometers across its surface.
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During this period, it's thought that the lunar lava emitted gas components or volatiles
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like carbon monoxide, sulfur, hydrogen and oxygen.
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As the lava spread, the volatiles accumulated and formed a transient atmosphere.
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The ancient atmosphere was believed to be much thinner than Earth's current atmosphere,
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but 1.5 times thicker than Mars' current atmosphere.
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The eruptions lasted for about 70 million years, and it's estimated that trillions of
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gallons of water was released during this period.
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As the atmosphere started to thin out, the volatiles were either lost to space or became part of the surface of the Moon.
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Researchers believe it's possible that a significant amount of water may have made its way to the
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lunar poles and could be trapped in permanently shadowed regions.
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In fact, NASA's new analysis quantifies a source of volatiles based on lunar samples collected during the Apollo missions.
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And these volatiles could provide key resources - like water, air and fuel
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- for extended moon missions and beyond.
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So while Mars is still a frontrunner when it comes to colonization, revelations about
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the Moon's past and its potential presence of water continue to prove that there is still
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a lot more lunar exploration needed before we count the Moon out.
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If you want to see more Space Crafts check out this playlist here.
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And be sure to let us know in the comments what astronomical phenomena you want to learn more about.
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