Audio description content. Another view of the moon, A NASA maps of the moon’s south pole. The image is coloured in green with purple shapes marking out the location of craters, and shades of yellow and red speckled throughout. An image key to the right of the image shows a scale from 25 to 300, coloured as an inverted rainbow. 25 is violet, 50 to 150 are shades of blue, 150 to 225 are green, 225 to 275 are yellow and orange, with red being the final section 275 to 300. Titles along the scale read 50-75 ammonia, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulphide. Around 100 reads water, methanol. 130, mercury. 200 sodium, 250 sulphur. Referring back to the image, the moon’s surface contains mostly sodium, with many small patches of sulphur, and large deposits of ammonia and either methanol or water.

Panel text content. What lurks in the shadows? Although the surface of the moon is bone dry and dusty, scientists believe water could be hiding in some deep shadows. Water is carried to the moon on asteroids but quickly evaporates. Sunlight warms the moon surface to a scorching 127 degrees Celsius, while in the dark it plunges to a freezing minus 173 degrees Celsius. Scientists have confirmed there is water ice in deep craters that never see sunlight. These are called “perma-shadow cold traps”. This map shows the moon’s south pole, the dark blue areas indicate possible ice deposits. Water is considered ‘the oil of space’ as it can provide water for drinking, oxygen for breathing, and hydrogen for fuel.

End of exhibit area A.