Scientists say Ceres is 'ocean world' with big reservoir of salty

dwarf planet named Ceres which was believed to be a barren rock, is an ocean world with reservoirs of sea water right beneath its surface. According to a major exploration mission, Ceres is largest object in asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Also, it has its own gravity. This enabled NASA Dawn craft to capture high resolution ims of its surface.

Ceres with water reservoirs

According to reports, a team of scientists from United States and Europe have analysed se ims which were captured around 35kms away from asteroid. Focussing on Occator crater, scientists came to conclusion that re is an "extensive reservoir" of brine beneath its surface. Occator is considered to be 20 million years old. 

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Reports suggest that dwarf planet was discovered by Italian polymath Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801. Several studies published in journals Nature Astromy, Nature Geoscience and Nature Communications have given importance to this planet. A team of scientists have also discovered presence of compound hydrohalite, which has never been found on earth. 

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Maria Cristina De Sanctis, from Rome's Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, said "We can w say that Ceres is a sort of ocean world, as are some of Saturn's and Jupiter's moons. material found on Ceres is extremely important in terms of astrobiology”. She added, “We kw that se minerals are all essential for emergence of life”. According to reports, team said that salt deposits look like y were built two million year back. In a different US based paper, where researchers analysed picture of Occator, y came to conclusion that its mounds and hills may have formed when water ejected by impact of a meteor froze on surface.

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(Im Credits: NASA)