Scientists from Germany’s Max Planck Institute detected a cloud formation inside a crater the dwarf planet Ceres that may come from the sublimation of ice water.
The study is published published today in the journal Nature . Andraes Natheus and his group of researchers used data from the Dawn spacecraft, orbiting Ceres since March, to try to solve the mystery of the bright spots observed on the surface of the planet.
One of these reflections is in the Occator crater, a hole 90 kilometers wide and four kilometers deep inside which appears and disappears a bright haze to a daily rate.
“Our detection of these clouds, in Combined with the recent observations of the observatory Herschel, who found water vapor in the vicinity of Ceres, suggests that there is water ice under Occator “Natheus said.
The Max Planck group studied more than 130 areas brighter than the ship identified NASA and concluded that most of these reflections may be due to the effect of sunlight on a surface of hydrated magnesium sulfate.
“What we see are solid salts . Not ice, but contain links sulfate water “described Natheus, stressing that” under the surface there are probably saline water reserves. “
The Dawn probe is the first human device that orbits the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
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