JERUSALEM, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Ice has been slowly building up at the Moon's poles for at least 1.5 billion years, Israeli and U.S. scientists have found, according to a statement from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science on Tuesday.

Their study, published in Nature Astronomy, points to "cold traps," which are deep, sunless craters near the poles where temperatures drop to around minus 160 degrees Celsius, as the best places to find ice, read the statement.

Using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the researchers found that older dark regions contain more ice, suggesting gradual accumulation rather than a single event, read the statement.

This ice could be turned into water, oxygen and fuel, and NASA plans to explore these areas under its Artemis program, read the statement.

The scientists hope future missions will collect samples to determine the water's origin and how it could support human activities in space, read the statement. ■