The asteroid belt that sits between Mars and Jupiter might be holding the building blocks of life, according to a new study. The dwarf planet Ceres in the region has a hidden ocean which harbours such ingredients, the research published in the journal Science Advances says.&nbsp;

Ceres is the largest object in our Solar System’s asteroid belt, and its icy surface hides several small underground water bodies containing salt water. But the most fascinating discovery has been made around one of its largest craters, the Ertunet Crater.&nbsp;

Maria Cristina De Sanctis, a planetary scientist at Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, and her colleagues found the basics of life here.

Hundreds of square miles of area around this crater are covered with a layer of organic chemicals, also called aliphatics. Researchers suggest that the chemicals must have formed only in the past few million years or so. This is because aliphatic compounds cannot sustain the constant bombardment of radiation in deep space for a long time.&nbsp;

This has led them to conclude that these organic molecules formed in Ceres’s underground ocean within the last 10 million years or so.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/jwst-spots-unique-exoplanet-with-inflated-asymmetric-atmosphere-761897">JWST spots unique exoplanet with inflated 'asymmetric' atmosphere</a>

De Sanctis and her colleagues created the Ceres sediment in their lab using data from NASA’s Dawn mission which flew by the dwarf planet in 2012. They added aliphatic organics to the mix, the hydrocarbon found near the Ertunet Crater.&nbsp;

To get an estimate of how long they have been there, they struck the mixture with powerful ultraviolet radiation and fast-moving ions.

This so-called “space weathering” can break down organic molecules. Turns out, the aliphatic compounds could not hold on for long, and this made the researchers realise that the substance had not been on Ceres for long either.&nbsp;

There is an abundance of this type of hydrocarbon on its surface, and so the researchers believe it must have gotten there within the last 10 million years.

"The organic compounds found at the Ertunet Crater might have evolved over the life span of Ceres’s deep ocean, lasting at least a few hundred million years,” De Sanctis and her colleagues write in their recent paper.&nbsp;

Besides, simulations show that these organic molecules weren't delivered by any asteroid or comet and formed deep inside Ceres.

Ceres was once covered with a huge ocean of salt water beneath its crust, but today only pockets of it survive. Previous studies hint at the possibility that rock and salt water interacted with each other, releasing enough energy to create little pockets of habitability.

“This makes the region a preferred site for a future in situ or sample return mission to Ceres,” they write.&nbsp;

The asteroid belt that sits between Mars and Jupiter might be holding the building blocks of life, according to a new study. The dwarf planet Ceres in the region has a hidden ocean which harbours such ingredients, the research published in the journal Science Advances says.

The asteroid belt that sits between Mars and Jupiter might be holding the building blocks of life, according to a new study. The dwarf planet Ceres in the region has a hidden ocean which harbours such ingredients, the research published in the journal Science Advances says. Ceres is the largest object in our Solar System’s asteroid belt, and its icy surface hides several small underground water bodies containing salt water. But the most fascinating discovery has been made around one of its largest craters, the Ertunet Crater. Maria Cristina De Sanctis, a planetary scientist at Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, and her colleagues found the basics of life here. Hundreds of square miles of area around this crater are covered with a layer of organic chemicals, also called aliphatics. Researchers suggest that the chemicals must have formed only in the past few million years or so. This is because aliphatic compounds cannot sustain the constant bombardment of radiation in deep space for a long time. This has led them to conclude that these organic molecules formed in Ceres’s underground ocean within the last 10 million years or so. Also Read: JWST spots unique exoplanet with inflated 'asymmetric' atmosphere De Sanctis and her colleagues created the Ceres sediment in their lab using data from NASA’s Dawn mission which flew by the dwarf planet in 2012. They added aliphatic organics to the mix, the hydrocarbon found near the Ertunet Crater. To get an estimate of how long they have been there, they struck the mixture with powerful ultraviolet radiation and fast-moving ions. This so-called “space weathering” can break down organic molecules. Turns out, the aliphatic compounds could not hold on for long, and this made the researchers realise that the substance had not been on Ceres for long either. There is an abundance of this type of hydrocarbon on its surface, and so the researchers believe it must have gotten there within the last 10 million years. "The organic compounds found at the Ertunet Crater might have evolved over the life span of Ceres’s deep ocean, lasting at least a few hundred million years,” De Sanctis and her colleagues write in their recent paper. Besides, simulations show that these organic molecules weren't delivered by any asteroid or comet and formed deep inside Ceres. Ceres was once covered with a huge ocean of salt water beneath its crust, but today only pockets of it survive. Previous studies hint at the possibility that rock and salt water interacted with each other, releasing enough energy to create little pockets of habitability. “This makes the region a preferred site for a future in situ or sample return mission to Ceres,” they write.

Ceres, largest object in asteroid belt, shows signs of habitability near Ertunet Crater

The origin of a dwarf planet living in our solar system was a subject of debate for several years among astronomers. They now seem to have settled it. Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt, has widespread ammonium deposits, and till now experts believed that its frozen form led to the creation of Ceres. But, ammonium is only stable in the outer solar system, indicating that Ceres formed outside our solar system and was slowly sucked in.

New research has revealed that it is not true and Ceres was born in the asteroid belt itself.&nbsp;

You might recall Ceres from the TV show "Expanse", in which the so-called 'belters' are based on this dwarf planet. The show has humans colonising the asteroid belt to mine the space rocks.&nbsp;

Ceres has gained fame in the real world as well because of the doubts over its origin. It has a diameter of around 960 kilometres, is the biggest body between Mars and Jupiter in the belt and boasts an extremely complex and varied geology.

A research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen studied data from NASA's Dawn space probe and has found ammonium-rich deposits in the Consus crater. The discovery has shed new light on the birth of Ceres.

Dawn probe studied Ceres and noticed that it changed and evolved over many billions of years. It also found widespread ammonium deposits on the surface of Ceres. The team noted in the new study that it likely witnessed unique cryovolcanism until recently, which probably continued even today.&nbsp;

There are light-coloured, whitish salt deposits in several impact craters. The Consus crater has emerged as the main mystery point where the deposits could indicate ammonium-rich material that has reached the surface from the depths of the dwarf planet owing to volcanism on Ceres.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/on-planets-with-eternal-day-or-night-how-does-alien-life-know-when-to-sleep-757307">On planets with eternal day or night, how does alien life know when to sleep?</a>

Researchers say that a brine seeped to the surface from a liquid layer between the mantle and crust over many billions of years, leading to the deposits.

After studying images and measurement data from the Consus crater in extreme detail, the team found material that was yellowish. It now believes that the presence of ammonium does not necessarily indicate an origin in the outer solar system, and there is a high chance that Ceres formed where it is orbiting today.

<h2>Consus crater on Ceres</h2>

Consus crater, located in Ceres' southern hemisphere, has a diameter of around 64 kilometres. It has a circumferential crater wall that rises about 4.5 kilometres above the crater floor. It contains inside it another smaller crater covering an area of about 15 kilometres by eleven kilometres.

The surface of Ceres is covered with ammonium-rich minerals. Earlier studies showed that these minerals form only through contact with ammonium ice, outside our solar system. As it nears the sun, it evaporates quickly. Ceres was therefore believed to have formed at the edge of the solar system.

But now, by establishing a connection between ammonium and the salty brine from Ceres' interior, researchers say that Ceres could be native to the asteroid belt.

&nbsp;The research is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

The origin of a dwarf planet living in our solar system was a subject of debate for several years among astronomers. They now seem to have settled it. Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt, has widespread ammonium deposits, and till now experts believed that its frozen form led to the creation of Ceres.

The origin of a dwarf planet living in our solar system was a subject of debate for several years among astronomers. They now seem to have settled it. Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt, has widespread ammonium deposits, and till now experts believed that its frozen form led to the creation of Ceres. But, ammonium is only stable in the outer solar system, indicating that Ceres formed outside our solar system and was slowly sucked in. New research has revealed that it is not true and Ceres was born in the asteroid belt itself. You might recall Ceres from the TV show "Expanse", in which the so-called 'belters' are based on this dwarf planet. The show has humans colonising the asteroid belt to mine the space rocks. Ceres has gained fame in the real world as well because of the doubts over its origin. It has a diameter of around 960 kilometres, is the biggest body between Mars and Jupiter in the belt and boasts an extremely complex and varied geology. A research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen studied data from NASA's Dawn space probe and has found ammonium-rich deposits in the Consus crater. The discovery has shed new light on the birth of Ceres. Dawn probe studied Ceres and noticed that it changed and evolved over many billions of years. It also found widespread ammonium deposits on the surface of Ceres. The team noted in the new study that it likely witnessed unique cryovolcanism until recently, which probably continued even today. There are light-coloured, whitish salt deposits in several impact craters. The Consus crater has emerged as the main mystery point where the deposits could indicate ammonium-rich material that has reached the surface from the depths of the dwarf planet owing to volcanism on Ceres. Also Read: On planets with eternal day or night, how does alien life know when to sleep? Researchers say that a brine seeped to the surface from a liquid layer between the mantle and crust over many billions of years, leading to the deposits. After studying images and measurement data from the Consus crater in extreme detail, the team found material that was yellowish. It now believes that the presence of ammonium does not necessarily indicate an origin in the outer solar system, and there is a high chance that Ceres formed where it is orbiting today. Consus crater on Ceres Consus crater, located in Ceres' southern hemisphere, has a diameter of around 64 kilometres. It has a circumferential crater wall that rises about 4.5 kilometres above the crater floor. It contains inside it another smaller crater covering an area of about 15 kilometres by eleven kilometres. The surface of Ceres is covered with ammonium-rich minerals. Earlier studies showed that these minerals form only through contact with ammonium ice, outside our solar system. As it nears the sun, it evaporates quickly. Ceres was therefore believed to have formed at the edge of the solar system. But now, by establishing a connection between ammonium and the salty brine from Ceres' interior, researchers say that Ceres could be native to the asteroid belt. The research is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

Pop culture dwarf planet part of TV show likely originated in our solar system

After the discovery of a planet oddly three billion kilometres away from Earth, a new research has now revealed another remote ringed planet has also been discovered in the solar system - the Dwarf planet. It is about 555 kilometres in diameter and almost half the size of Pluto.

European Space Agency scientists discover Dwarf planet ringed by dust, ice

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs&nbsp;around the Sun.

The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles.

To achieve this feat, scientists tapped into the worldwide network of 150,000 volunteers.&nbsp;The study has been&nbsp;published in the journals Nature and the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

“Without the citizen scientists, we couldn't have created such a complete sample in so short a time,” said J. Davy Kirkpatrick, a scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena and lead author of the study. “Having the power of thousands of inquiring eyes on the data enabled us to find brown dwarf candidates much faster.”

Brown dwarfs&nbsp;are bigger than Jupiter-sized planets but too small for nuclear fusion, the signature process that gives a star its shine.&nbsp;Also known as “failed stars,” brown dwarfs are born hot and emit faint but telltale infrared light as they slowly cool.

These objects&nbsp;are balls of gas that are not heavy enough to be stars since they can’t&nbsp;power themselves through nuclear fusion the way stars do. And while “brown” is in the name, they would appear magenta or orange-red if a person could see them close up. By making a complete map of these objects, scientists could find out whether different kinds of brown dwarfs are evenly distributed in our solar system’s neighbourhood.&nbsp;

Telescopes can detect brown dwarfs because they emit heat, in the form of infrared light, leftover from their formation. Infrared light is invisible to human eyes, but it can reveal tantalising details about brown dwarfs and other objects throughout the universe.&nbsp;

“If you were to put the Sun at a random place within our 3D map and you were to ask, ‘Typically, what do its neighbours look like?’ We find that they would look very different from what our actual neighbours are,” said Aaron Meisner, assistant scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and co-author of the study.&nbsp;

The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is ongoing and open to anyone worldwide who wants to join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. In addition to a total of about 3,000 brown dwarfs, volunteers have helped find&nbsp;the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk&nbsp;of debris.

“I enjoy this project because the objects that we send to the researchers might get observed with a big telescope,” said Melina Thévenot, a citizen scientist in Germany who is listed as a co-author of the new study. “I think we volunteers can really see the fruits of our efforts with this project and the publications by the science team.”

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs around the Sun. The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles.

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs around the Sun. The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles. To achieve this feat, scientists tapped into the worldwide network of 150,000 volunteers. The study has been published in the journals Nature and the Astrophysical Journal Letters. “Without the citizen scientists, we couldn't have created such a complete sample in so short a time,” said J. Davy Kirkpatrick, a scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena and lead author of the study. “Having the power of thousands of inquiring eyes on the data enabled us to find brown dwarf candidates much faster.” Brown dwarfs are bigger than Jupiter-sized planets but too small for nuclear fusion, the signature process that gives a star its shine. Also known as “failed stars,” brown dwarfs are born hot and emit faint but telltale infrared light as they slowly cool. These objects are balls of gas that are not heavy enough to be stars since they can’t power themselves through nuclear fusion the way stars do. And while “brown” is in the name, they would appear magenta or orange-red if a person could see them close up. By making a complete map of these objects, scientists could find out whether different kinds of brown dwarfs are evenly distributed in our solar system’s neighbourhood. Telescopes can detect brown dwarfs because they emit heat, in the form of infrared light, leftover from their formation. Infrared light is invisible to human eyes, but it can reveal tantalising details about brown dwarfs and other objects throughout the universe. “If you were to put the Sun at a random place within our 3D map and you were to ask, ‘Typically, what do its neighbours look like?’ We find that they would look very different from what our actual neighbours are,” said Aaron Meisner, assistant scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and co-author of the study. The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is ongoing and open to anyone worldwide who wants to join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. In addition to a total of about 3,000 brown dwarfs, volunteers have helped find the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk of debris. “I enjoy this project because the objects that we send to the researchers might get observed with a big telescope,” said Melina Thévenot, a citizen scientist in Germany who is listed as a co-author of the new study. “I think we volunteers can really see the fruits of our efforts with this project and the publications by the science team.”

Scientists create 'most complete' three-dimensional map of brown dwarfs around the Sun

Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is an "ocean world" with a big reservoir of salty water under its frigid surface, scientists said in findings that raise interest in this dwarf planet as a possible outpost for life.

Research published on Monday based on data obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which flew as close as 22 miles (35 km) from the surface in 2018, provides a new understanding of Ceres, including evidence indicating it remains geologically active with cryovolcanism - volcanoes oozing icy material.

The findings confirm the presence of a subsurface reservoir of brine - salt-enriched water - remnants of a vast subsurface ocean that has been gradually freezing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-a-rare-event-astronomers-discover-saturn-like-planet-orbiting-small-cool-star-318644" hreflang="en">In a rare event, astronomers discover Saturn-like planet orbiting small cool star</a>

"This elevates Ceres to 'ocean world' status, noting that this category does not require the ocean to be global," said planetary scientist and Dawn principal investigator Carol Raymond. "In the case of Ceres, we know the liquid reservoir is regional scale but we cannot tell for sure that it is global. However, what matters most is that there is liquid on a large scale."

Ceres has a diameter of about 590 miles (950 km). The scientists focused on the 57-mile-wide (92-km-wide) Occator Crater, formed by an impact about 22 million years ago in Ceres' northern hemisphere. It has two bright areas - salt crusts left by liquid that percolated up to the surface and evaporated.&nbsp;

The liquid, they concluded, originated in a brine reservoir hundreds of miles (km) wide lurking about 25 miles (40 km) below the surface, with the impact creating fractures allowing the salty water to escape.

The research was published in the journals Nature Astronomy, Nature Geoscience and Nature Communications.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-drops-racially-charged-nicknames-of-celestial-bodies-319130" hreflang="en">NASA drops racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies</a>

Other solar system bodies beyond Earth where subsurface oceans are known or appear to exist include Jupiter's moon Europa,&nbsp;Saturn's moon Enceladus, Neptune's moon Triton and the dwarf planet Pluto.&nbsp;

Water is considered a key ingredient for life. Scientists want to assess whether Ceres was ever habitable by microbial life.

"There is major interest at this stage," said planetary scientist Julie Castillo of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "in quantifying the habitability potential of the deep brine reservoir, especially considering it is cold and getting quite rich in salts."

Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is an "ocean world" with a big reservoir of salty water under its frigid surface, scientists said in findings that raise interest in this dwarf planet as a possible outpost for life.

Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is an "ocean world" with a big reservoir of salty water under its frigid surface, scientists said in findings that raise interest in this dwarf planet as a possible outpost for life. Research published on Monday based on data obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which flew as close as 22 miles (35 km) from the surface in 2018, provides a new understanding of Ceres, including evidence indicating it remains geologically active with cryovolcanism - volcanoes oozing icy material. The findings confirm the presence of a subsurface reservoir of brine - salt-enriched water - remnants of a vast subsurface ocean that has been gradually freezing. Also read: In a rare event, astronomers discover Saturn-like planet orbiting small cool star "This elevates Ceres to 'ocean world' status, noting that this category does not require the ocean to be global," said planetary scientist and Dawn principal investigator Carol Raymond. "In the case of Ceres, we know the liquid reservoir is regional scale but we cannot tell for sure that it is global. However, what matters most is that there is liquid on a large scale." Ceres has a diameter of about 590 miles (950 km). The scientists focused on the 57-mile-wide (92-km-wide) Occator Crater, formed by an impact about 22 million years ago in Ceres' northern hemisphere. It has two bright areas - salt crusts left by liquid that percolated up to the surface and evaporated. The liquid, they concluded, originated in a brine reservoir hundreds of miles (km) wide lurking about 25 miles (40 km) below the surface, with the impact creating fractures allowing the salty water to escape. The research was published in the journals Nature Astronomy, Nature Geoscience and Nature Communications. Also read: NASA drops racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies Other solar system bodies beyond Earth where subsurface oceans are known or appear to exist include Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Enceladus, Neptune's moon Triton and the dwarf planet Pluto. Water is considered a key ingredient for life. Scientists want to assess whether Ceres was ever habitable by microbial life. "There is major interest at this stage," said planetary scientist Julie Castillo of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "in quantifying the habitability potential of the deep brine reservoir, especially considering it is cold and getting quite rich in salts."

Dwarf planet Ceres is an 'ocean world' with salty water deep underground

A rare &quot;dwarf planet&quot; 18 times smaller than Earth, has been discovered in the distant solar system on an eccentric orbit far beyond Neptune, astronomers said today. 
 
Dubbed RR245, the icy world is currently about 9.7 billion kilometres from the Sun - 65 times further than Earth, said astronomer Jean-Marc Petit of France&#39;s CNRS research institute. 
 
&quot;But its orbit is very elliptical, and it will be 19 billion km at its furthest point from our star,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
At the closest approach on its 700-year orbit, the planet will pass the Sun at a distance of some five billion km. 
 
Dwarf planets fall into a six-year-old category of celestial bodies. 
 
They are smaller than ordinary planets and orbit the Sun at a much greater distance, travelling in a zone littered with other objects like asteroids. 
 
There are thought to be dozens of them in our solar system, but only a handful have been identified so far. 
 
They include Eris and Ceres, as well as Pluto - which was downgraded from a full planet to a dwarf planet in a 2006 decision that remains contested to this day. 
 
Most dwarf planets are small and dark, said team member Michele Bannister of the University of Victoria in Canada. 
 
&quot;It is really exciting to find one which is big and bright enough for us to study,&quot; she said in a statement issued by the CNRS. 
 
RR245 was first spotted in February this year, in images taken in September 2015 by Outer Solar System Origin Survey (OSSOS), an international project to scope out distant worlds. 
 
Its diameter has been estimated at about 700 km, compared to Earth&#39;s more than 12,700 km. 
 
The discoverers of RR245 have the right to propose a name for their find. 
 
New planetary monickers have to be approved by nomenclature panel in the International Astronomical Union (IAU). 
 
(AFP)

The planet has been discovered in the distant solar system on an orbit far beyond Neptune. It is 18 times smaller than Earth

A rare "dwarf planet" 18 times smaller than Earth, has been discovered in the distant solar system on an eccentric orbit far beyond Neptune, astronomers said today. Dubbed RR245, the icy world is currently about 9.7 billion kilometres from the Sun - 65 times further than Earth, said astronomer Jean-Marc Petit of France's CNRS research institute. "But its orbit is very elliptical, and it will be 19 billion km at its furthest point from our star," he told AFP. At the closest approach on its 700-year orbit, the planet will pass the Sun at a distance of some five billion km. Dwarf planets fall into a six-year-old category of celestial bodies. They are smaller than ordinary planets and orbit the Sun at a much greater distance, travelling in a zone littered with other objects like asteroids. There are thought to be dozens of them in our solar system, but only a handful have been identified so far. They include Eris and Ceres, as well as Pluto - which was downgraded from a full planet to a dwarf planet in a 2006 decision that remains contested to this day. Most dwarf planets are small and dark, said team member Michele Bannister of the University of Victoria in Canada. "It is really exciting to find one which is big and bright enough for us to study," she said in a statement issued by the CNRS. RR245 was first spotted in February this year, in images taken in September 2015 by Outer Solar System Origin Survey (OSSOS), an international project to scope out distant worlds. Its diameter has been estimated at about 700 km, compared to Earth's more than 12,700 km. The discoverers of RR245 have the right to propose a name for their find. New planetary monickers have to be approved by nomenclature panel in the International Astronomical Union (IAU). (AFP)

'Dwarf planet' discovered in distant solar system

dwarf-planet

Dwarf Planet, News on Dwarf Planet, stories on Dwarf Planet, articles on Dwarf Planet, Dwarf Planet stories at Wion, Dwarf Planet news, Dwarf Planet latest news