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Image of a volcano’s crater on the surface of the planet Ceres. Photo: newscientist.com
However, the results of a recent study released by the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on August 10th have revealed a different perspective. According to the study, Ceres is, in fact, an “oceanic world” with subsurface water reservoirs.
Ceres is the largest celestial body within the asteroid belt situated between Mars and Jupiter. This positioning allowed NASA’s spacecraft Dawn to capture high-resolution images of its surface. The research team, composed of scientists from both the United States and Europe, meticulously examined images sent back by the Dawn spacecraft, with a specific focus on the 20 million-year-old Occator volcano. By utilizing infrared images taken from an altitude of approximately 35 kilometers above the surface, the researchers identified a “broad lake” harboring a subsurface ocean within Occator. Additionally, they detected the presence of hydrohalite, a common compound in sea ice, which was previously only observed on Earth.
Several studies published on August 10th in journals like Nature Astronomy, Nature Geoscience, and Nature Communications further illuminate the mysteries surrounding Ceres – a planet discovered by Italian scientist Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801.
Astronomer Maria Cristina De Sanctis from the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics emphasizes, “We can now say that Ceres is an oceanic world with subsurface water reservoirs, similar to some moons of Earth and Mars. Hydrohalite is a clear indicator that this dwarf planet contains water.”
According to the research team, the salt deposits on Ceres’ surface appear to have accumulated over approximately two million years, suggesting that oceanic water can still be pushed up from the planet’s interior. Analyzing images of the Occator volcano, scientists also uncovered formations such as hills and mounds on Ceres, potentially formed by the eruption of water, triggered by asteroid impacts, which subsequently froze on the surface.
Highlighting the significance of this new discovery, astronomer Maria Cristina De Sanctis asserts, “Minerals found on Ceres, such as hydrohalite, are extremely important in terms of astrobiology. They are necessary for the emergence of life.”