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Planet Ceres is an 'ocean world' with sea water beneath surface, mission finds
The Guardian ^ | 08-10-2020 | AFP

Posted on 08/10/2020 4:46:24 PM PDT by NRx

The dwarf planet Ceres – long believed to be a barren space rock – is an ocean world with reservoirs of sea water beneath its surface, the results of a major exploration mission showed on Monday.

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and has its own gravity, enabling the Nasa Dawn spacecraft to capture high-resolution images of its surface.

Now a team of scientists from the United States and Europe have analysed images relayed from the orbiter, captured about 35km (22 miles) from the asteroid.

They focused on the 20-million-year-old Occator crater and determined that there is an “extensive reservoir” of brine beneath its surface.

Several studies published on Monday in the journals Nature Astronomy, Nature Geoscience and Nature Communications also shed further light on the dwarf planet, which was discovered by the Italian polymath Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801.

Using infrared imaging, one team discovered the presence of the compound hydrohalite – a material common in sea ice but which until now had never been observed off of Earth.

Maria Cristina De Sanctis, from Rome’s Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica said hydrohalite was a clear sign Ceres used to have sea water.

“We can now say that Ceres is a sort of ocean world, as are some of Saturn’s and Jupiter’s moons,” she told AFP.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: 1801; asteroid; asteroids; astronomy; catastrophism; ceres; giuseppepiazzi; hydrohalite; mariacdesanctis; nasadawn; occatorcrater; saltwater; science; seawater; water
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I used to live near the center of Ceres. Of course that was the one in California. Also an alien world.
1 posted on 08/10/2020 4:46:24 PM PDT by NRx
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To: NRx

Well that throws a major part of the storyline for The Expanse into the trash bin.


2 posted on 08/10/2020 4:48:31 PM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
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To: NRx

Always amazed by their cavalier assignment of dating to any object, mush less one they have never touched or tested. A picture is only a picture.


3 posted on 08/10/2020 4:53:05 PM PDT by Fungi
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To: NRx

Surf’s up on Ceres!


4 posted on 08/10/2020 4:53:36 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: rarestia
Well that throws a major part of the storyline for The Expanse into the trash bin.

My thoughts as well, but maybe not. Perhaps Ceres is perfect because there IS water, but also plenty of rock to burrow into. I guess that would sorta make the whole point of ice haulers towing ice to Ceres moot though.

5 posted on 08/10/2020 4:53:48 PM PDT by Malsua
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To: Malsua

I didn’t consider the ice hauler part. That’s a further complication.

Then again, the protomolecule turned Ceres into a wasteland which then plunged into Venus, so I suppose it’s only complicated for the first two books.


6 posted on 08/10/2020 4:54:42 PM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
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To: NRx

Now Kevin Costner has a place to go after Yellowstone.


7 posted on 08/10/2020 4:55:06 PM PDT by centurion316
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To: NRx

BFD i want to see indictments and frog marches


8 posted on 08/10/2020 4:56:06 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: NRx
Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and has its own gravity

Shocking, especially considering that every object with mass has its own gravity (except for Dick Cheney who has gravitas).

9 posted on 08/10/2020 4:56:45 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (In 2016 Obama ended America's 220 year tradition of peaceful transfer of power after az><n election.)
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To: NRx

Anyone else find Carolyn Porco kinda hawt?


10 posted on 08/10/2020 4:56:49 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: NRx; BenLurkin; SunkenCiv; Army Air Corps

Water Stop for the road trip to Mars Ping!


11 posted on 08/10/2020 4:58:23 PM PDT by KC_Lion
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To: NRx

“extensive reservoir” of brine beneath its surface.

Well that’s just great. A dwarf planet of sea monkeys.


12 posted on 08/10/2020 5:01:52 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Free the TVs!)
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To: al baby
"BFD"
This is Hugh and Ceres stuff!
13 posted on 08/10/2020 5:02:23 PM PDT by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything, it's that history rarely teaches anything.)
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To: NRx
Let’s go!


14 posted on 08/10/2020 5:03:39 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: rarestia
the protomolecule turned Ceres into a wasteland which then plunged into Venus,

It was EROS that was sent into Venus.

Yes, I read all the books and watched all the TV and enjoyed every bit of it :).

15 posted on 08/10/2020 5:05:24 PM PDT by Malsua
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To: blueunicorn6
Surf’s up on Ceres!

Even on Ceres, Charlie don't surf.
16 posted on 08/10/2020 5:06:29 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: Malsua

Crap, you’re right. I devoured the books in about a month of cross country flights. Can’t wait for the final one! Looks like I need to go back to read them again if I forgot something as simple as this. Thanks for the refresher.


17 posted on 08/10/2020 5:06:46 PM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

“A dwarf planet of sea monkeys.”

Thank you Santa Claus!


18 posted on 08/10/2020 5:07:36 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: NRx

Edgar Rice Burroughs would’ve had a field day with this news.


19 posted on 08/10/2020 5:08:32 PM PDT by Quilla
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To: Army Air Corps

One of my favorite movie scenes.


20 posted on 08/10/2020 5:10:09 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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