An incredible statement was made by representatives of the Dawn mission, an apparatus currently in orbit with the dwarf planet Ceres and transmitting data to Earth. The message says about the discovery of certain organic compounds on Ceres. The findings were detailed in the journal Science.
“Incredibly, the latest data from Dawn indicates that Ceres contains key ingredients for the emergence of life,” mission researcher Simone Marchi said.
Observation showed that organic compounds found on Ceres are very common in nature, and they appeared as a result of geochemical processes occurring under the surface of the dwarf planet.
“This discovery of a high concentration of organic matter has incredibly intrigued the astrobiological community,” said Simona Marchi, senior researcher at the Research Institute in a press release. “Ceres has already found ammonia, hydrated minerals, water ice, carbonates, salts, and now organic materials. This discovery allows us to state with confidence that Ceres contains the key components for life. '
The researchers used the probe's visible and infrared imagery to analyze the distribution of organics on Ceres. Although observations showed a high concentration of organic matter near Ernutet, a large crater in the northern hemisphere of Ceres, the overall distribution did not correlate with any one crater. Scientists have found organics distributed between young, relatively recently formed craters and old, already crumbling craters.
Sources: phys
