A research team from the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA (USA), and the Andalusian Institute of Astrophysics (Spain) has recently reassessed the potential for life on the mysterious dwarf planet Ceres.
According to Sci-News, scientists decided to reanalyze the enigmatic presence of fatty organic compounds on Ceres, which were initially discovered by NASA’s Dawn mission in 2017, to determine their origins and reassess the habitability of Ceres.
Dwarf planet Ceres – (Photo: NASA).
Many scientists believe that these organic molecules are not readily available but were formed from inanimate materials after Ceres’ primordial material was altered by brine, similar to how the reactions that sparked life occurred on early Earth.
The research team, led by Dr. Terik Daly from APL, noted that these organic compounds were initially discovered near a large impact crater, prompting them to investigate the significance of cosmic impacts in their existence.
A series of experiments were conducted at NASA’s Ames Vertical Gun Range, a specialized “shooting range” designed to simulate the physical and mechanical properties of space collisions.
The experiments simulated typical impact conditions on Ceres, with impact speeds ranging from 2 to 6 km/s and angles varying from 15 to 90 degrees relative to the horizontal.
The authors also performed a new analysis combining data from two different instruments – cameras and imaging spectrometers aboard the Dawn spacecraft.
The results allowed them to investigate the organic compounds in greater detail than before, confirming that ancient impacts could be the necessary catalyst for primordial materials to transform into organic compounds, with the involvement of water.
“There is a strong possibility that a significant amount of organic matter is hidden within Ceres. Therefore, in my view, this finding enhances the astrobiological potential of Ceres,” Dr. Daly explained.
Ceres is a dwarf planet located in a distant orbit beyond Mars, making the likelihood of life existing on its frigid surface low.
However, NASA has previously discovered evidence suggesting that this world is filled with water beneath its surface. With the presence of organic matter and newly confirmed evidence of how that organic matter formed, the potential for this dwarf planet to harbor life – at least microbial life – increases.
