2023-10-19 11:19:00
02:19 PM Thursday, October 19, 2023 NASA has found what is arguably the first way to discover life on a planet in outer space, which is the dwarf planet Ceres. In 2017, scientists studying data sent back by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft discovered organic compounds known as aliphatic molecules near a 32-mile-wide impact crater on Ceres’ surface, according to Space.com. Ceres is a dwarf planet located in the central main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Since then, they have been trying to determine the origin of these particles; Some studies have suggested that asteroids delivered them to the dwarf planet, while other studies have concluded that they formed on Ceres itself. “We found that organic materials may be more widespread than previously thought,” says Juan Rizos, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics in Spain and co-author of the study. “Reported for the first time, they appear to be resilient to impacts in conditions similar to those of Ceres.” To reach their conclusions, Rizos and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments that simulated impact conditions expected on Ceres at a NASA facility in California. The team combined data from the camera and spectrophotometer on Dawn, and together the two datasets allowed the team to map areas rich in organic matter on Ceres in greater detail than previously possible. The researchers say the results clearly show a “good correlation” between organic matter and areas hosting older impacts. Which shows that asteroid strikes did affect the presence and abundance of organic materials over billions of years. Rizos said: “Although the origin of organic materials is still not well understood, we now have good evidence that they were formed on Ceres and most likely in the presence of water. There is a possibility “To find a large internal reservoir of organic material inside Ceres.” Another NASA probe called Lucy will soon explore 10 Trojan asteroids believed to hold evidence of the creation of our solar system and even Earth, thanks to hosting material from the early solar system.
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