How much water may be on the moon?

New studies suggest that "significant" and "widespread" amounts of water and ice may exist on the moon, a far more extensive presence outlined in previous theories.

On Friday, Anthony Colaprete, NASA project scientist, announced that "I'm here today to tell you that indeed, yes, we found water. And we didn't find just a little bit; we found a significant amount." This new finding has spiked hopes of possible lunar outposts: occupied stations from where further space missions could be undertaken. As CNN reports, the amount of water on the moon may be hundreds of times greater than previously guessed. NASA has gone to great lengths and even curiously creative extents to search for possible sources of lunar H20. Most recently, these studies have involved the intentional crashing of satellites and other objects into area of the moon and then testing the clouds of material that "splash up" upon impact. NASA has furthermore announced that

"The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the moon."