Water has been reported, with high confidence, on two more asteroids. Water is notable as the first objective of asteroid mining: obtaining propellant for the trip back, among other (later) uses.
Arredondo, A., McAdam, M. M. Honniball, C. I. et.al. 2024 Detection of Molecular H2O on Nominally Anhydrous Asteroids Planetary Science Journal vol. 5 #2 p. 37 10.3847/PSJ/ad18b8
Please don’t quibble: this particular result specifically searched for molecular water, not hydroxyl (-OH). “We employed numerous checks to increase confidence”. The six micrometer spectral feature indicates bona fide H2O, not hydroxyl (which we also consider water, if you should ask). Both H2O and -OH have a spectral feature at ~3.1-3.2 microns, but only H2O appears at ~6 μm. Dr. Arredondo thus states the spectrum is “unambiguously attributed to molecular water on the asteroids”. What’s ambiguous is asteroids Melpomene, and possibly Parthenope, whose water signatures are fainter and not reported here as being conclusive.
The investigators also have a presentation ready for LPSC next month.
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