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Carbon compounds in Apollo 12 lunar fines and core samples, using pyrolysis, mass spectrometry, ion exchange chromatography and optical and electron microscopy

Life-Forms in Meteorites: Origin of Life-like Forms in Carbonaceous Chondrites Introduction

Electron probe x-ray microanalysis of organized elements in the orgueil carbonaceous meteorite

Are they entrapped solar wind particles, meteoritic or cometary contributions, remnants of a primordial atmosphere or products of the degassing of the Moon ?

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.

IN a recent issue of NATURE (132, 955; 1933) Lord Rutherford has suggested that the heavy isotope of hydrogen be named diplogen, instead of the name deuterium proposed by us. This was one name considered by us before we published our suggestion of the names protium and deuterium for the two isotopes of hydrogen.

IN a recent communication, Brian Mason1 asks that I supply a list of chemical compositions of sedimentary rocks which parallel those of the tektites. I offer the following references for his samples of tektites labelled A1–G1. The pages in the following list refer to Pettijohn's book on sedimentary rocks2: A1, 298; B1, 364; C1 319; D1; 319; E1, F1 and G1, 306. Except for water content, fair agreements between analyses can be secured by selecting analyses from these tables. The low water content of tektites is a real puzzle. There are some small differences in analyses between those listed by Pettijohn and the tektites. It is very probable that some granites of the composition listed by Mason are fused sediments. What would be more interesting than an argument about average sedimentary rocks would be a comparison of the composition of particular groups of tektites and sedimentary or igneous rocks in the general area in which the tektites are found. If cometary collisions melted the local rock and scattered the fragments over great distances3, it should be possible to find the original material at an appropriate place. But this requires study by an expert in these matters and probably additional observational data, and these cannot be supplied by me.