Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Water on the Moon

Abstract

THE possibility that water has existed on the Moon for varying lengths of time, both in liquid arid in solid form, and both beneath the surface and on the surface, has been widely discussed during the past 10 years1–7. The subject has been discussed repeatedly at scientific meetings and has been received mostly with great scepticism. Evidence supporting this view has recently become quite overwhelming and, in fact, no communication seems necessary to point out the evidence from the Orbiter 4 and 5 pictures8. Because many people are not aware of this evidence and suggest that the effects are caused by other liquids, that is, lava, dust-gas or possibly even vodka, a brief discussion of the evidence may be in order.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Urey, H. C., Sky and Telescope, 15, 108, 161 (1956).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Urey, H. C., Rev. Geophys., 2, 1 (1964).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Urey, H. C., Science, 147, 1262 (1965); Lindau Conf. Nobel Laureates (1967).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gold, T., paper pres. Amer. Geophys. Union, Seattle (1964).

  5. Gilvarry, J. J., Nature, 188, 886 (1960); in Current Aspects of Exobiology (edit. by Mamikunian, G., and Briggs, M.), ch. 5 (Pergamon Press, New York, 1964).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kopal, Z., in The Moon, 24 (Chapman and Hall, London, 1963).

    Google Scholar 

  7. MacRae, D. A., paper pres. Amer. Astro. Soc., Montreal (1965).

  8. NASA–LRC Lunar Orbiter Pictures, Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia (1966–67).

  9. Gold, T., Mon. Not. Roy. Astro. Soc., 115, 585 (1955).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Safronov, V. S., and Rouskol, E. L., Proc. Thirteenth Inter. Astronaut. Cong., Varna, 1962 (Springer–Verlag, Vienna and New York, 1964).

  11. Urey, H. C., NASA Tech. Rep. 32–800, Rangers 8 and 9, pt. 2, ch. 5 (1966).

  12. Wiegand, G., in Fossile Pingos in Mitteleuropa, Wurzburger Geographische Arbeiten, 16 (Geograph. Inst. Univ. Wurzburg, Germany, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Holmes, Arthur, in Principles of Physical Geology, second ed., 438 (Ronald Press, New York, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

UREY, H. Water on the Moon. Nature 216, 1094–1095 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/2161094a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2161094a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing