Ceres is an ocean world in the Asteroid belt with active geology, NASA finds

Ceres, a dwarf planet is the largest object in the asteroid belt. For a long time, the planet was considered as a barren space rock by the scientists. However, a recent image sent by Dawn, a NASA mission reveals that Ceres is a water-rich world with active geology.

Long before Dawn arrived at Ceres in 2015, astronomers had observed bright regions on the planet with the help of telescopes. These regions located in the Occator Crater named Cerealia Facula and Vinalia Faculae were deposits made mostly of sodium carbonate crystals – a compound of sodium, carbon, and oxygen.

By analysing the images send by Dawn, scientists have now concluded that the crystals came from a liquid from a deep extensive reservoir of brine, or salt-enriched water, that ascended to the top and evaporated, leaving behind a highly bright crust. They also suggest that the brine reservoir is about 25 miles deep and hundreds of miles wide.

While saltwater quickly evaporates from the surface, Dawn’s measurements show that the planet still has water. This is evidence both for the presence of liquid below the region of Occator Crater and the active transfer of material from the reservoir to its surface.

“Dawn accomplished far more than we hoped when it embarked on its extraordinary extraterrestrial expedition. These exciting new discoveries from the end of its long and productive mission are a wonderful tribute to this remarkable interplanetary explorer,” said Mission Director Marc Rayman.

Dawn is the only spacecraft ever to orbit two extraterrestrial destinations – Ceres and the giant asteroid Vesta. The probe retired on November 1, 2018, and it is currently in an uncontrolled orbit around Ceres.