Dwarf planet Ceres - a great place to hunt for life

Numerous asteroids that have punctured the surface of dwarf planet Ceres also appear to have influenced its reservoir of precious organic molecules.

In 2017, scientists studying data sent home by NASA's Dawn spacecraft initially spotted organic compounds known as aliphatic molecules near a 32-mile-wide impact crater on Ceres. Since then, they have been trying to pin down the origin of these molecules; few studies suggested asteroids delivered them to the dwarf planet while others concluded they were formed on Ceres itself.

A team of astrophysicists carried out a series of experiments mimicking the impact conditions expected on Ceres at NASA's Ames Vertical Gun Range in California, a facility dedicated to simulating the physics and mechanics of impact cratering and asteroid strikes. The team also merged data from the camera and imaging spectrometer on Dawn, and the two datasets together allowed the team to map organic-rich areas on Ceres in greater detail than previously done.

While the origin of the organics remains poorly understood, we now have good evidence that they formed in Ceres and likely in the presence of water. There is a possibility that a large interior reservoir of organics may be found inside Ceres.

In the meantime, another NASA probe called Lucy will soon explore 10 trojan asteroids thought to hold clues to the creation of our solar system and even Earth, thanks to hosting material from the early solar system. We will likely find differences, as the Trojan asteroids have experienced very different impact histories from Ceres.

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Credits : https://www.space.com/dwarf-planet-ceres-organic-molecules-asteroid-impacts