Permanent shadows at the Moon's poles preserve ancient ice

The Moon stands at a tilt of just 1.5 degrees, an upright posture that leaves the floors of its deepest polar craters in a state of eternal night. Without any atmosphere to circulate heat, these shadows act as cosmic freezers, preserving ice that likely arrived on the backs of ancient comets and asteroids. While the sun-drenched surface nearby can bake at a blistering 120 degrees Celsius, these dark pockets remain stable at minus 170 degrees, cold enough to keep water frozen for eons.