Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, has long been a subject of fascination for scientists. New computer models suggest that this dwarf planet once had a muddy ocean beneath its icy crust, providing clues about the potential for extraterrestrial life. Ceres’ proximity to Earth and relatively low radiation levels make it an attractive target for future sample retrieval missions. Ceres could offer valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system.
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Enigma Of Ceres’ Ice-Rich Mantle Unveiled
The outer layer or “crust” of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt and now a dwarf planet crossed by faint but enigmatic bright streaks, might compose just 30 or 40 percent of its mass. Recent signs point to a muddy ocean underneath the icy veneer of this dwarf planet. ~===~
That left scientists with uncertainty over whether Ceres were icy, despite the dwarf planet’s scores of stark craters with vertical walls on the surface – a hallmark that rarely registers when it comes to signifying ice-banked worlds. But a group of researchers from Purdue University, JPL, NASA were like let’s see if this hypothesis is ture.
Using computer simulations, the researchers show that a crust of 90 percent ice and 10 percent dust/rock can support these craters for billions of years. This implies that Ceres was formed as a “ocean world” like Jupiter’s moon Europa, but its liquid oceanlyrics were dirtier and muddier than those of Europa waters, eventually freezing over time. A unique array of surface features we see today were born as the icy crust solidified, with some rocky material trapped beneath.
Ceres: The Icy World Across the Universe With An Update from DAWN
These results suggest that there may be much more to explore on the surface of Ceres than originally thought. Ceres is far closer to Earth than either Europa or Saturn’s moon Enceladus, and should therefore be easier to get the material from back home.
In addition, the region around Ceres is not as harsh over all and not drenched with intense radiation like that of Jupiter and Saturn, making it more suitable for extended visits. Of particular interest is how long Ceres’ subsurface ocean might have survived; the scientists suggest that radioactivity could have kept it liquified for eons after thermal heat from when the dwarf planet formed originally faded.
This information could tell us massive amounts about the history of Ceres and how its frozen ocean has changed over time, allowing scientists a unique opportunity to learn more about how our solar system was formed and evolved in its earliest days. Given its large size and location near Earth, Ceres could serve as a landmark body in the solar system for such astrobiological studies for understanding the origins and possibilities of extraterrestrial life.
Revealing the Secrets of Ceres: The Next Steps
These particular revelations about Ceres’ frosty history also spiked interest in this enigmatic minor planet. So yes, our closest observations of Ceres will come from the Dawn spacecraft, but there is still a great deal about this mysterious world that remains to be explored and explained.
One of the primary goals moving forward is to seek signs for whether Ceres had an ancient and potentially habitable subsurface ocean. The researchers say the Ceres bright salts in the crater—and possible others on Ceres—could be that old ocean’s remaining legacy, and thus worthy of extensive study.
Furthermore, the samples collected on Ceres could provide insights into what would be present immediately below that icy crust we see now (what it is composed of and its history) and whether or not they might harbor organic molecules or some form of microbial life. That Ceres is so close and relatively easy to reach makes it an especially appealing target for future space exploration missions, which should be able — at least in theory — to reveal even more details about the origins and evolution of our solar system.
