The study of dwarf planets near Mars could provide important insights into efforts to find extraterrestrial life, given the large amount of organic material they contain.
Complex organic compounds
Located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the planet known as Ceres is of great interest to researchers around the world. The planet appears to collect a series of complex organic compounds from surrounding asteroids.
Although the presence of these organic compounds on Ceres was first identified in 2017 via the Dawn spacecraft, recent research suggests that their presence may be more widespread than previously thought.
Initial discovery
Discussing the initial discovery, Terik Daly, lead author and planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory reported that “organic material was initially detected around a large impact crater, which motivated us to look at how the impact affected this organic material. .”
“We found that organic material may be more widespread than first reported and it appears to be more resistant to the impacts of Ceres-like conditions.”
Elements of life
Given the significant organic material on Ceres, combined with indications of its large water ice content, experts believe the planet may have the essential elements to support life beyond Earth.
“While researchers have performed impact and shock experiments on various types of organic materials in the past, what is missing is research dedicated to the types of organic materials detected on Ceres using the same analytical methods used by the Dawn spacecraft to detect them,” Daly said, emphasizing the importance of comparative analysis of organic data obtained from dwarf planets.
New evidence
“By harnessing the power of two different data sets collected on Ceres, we were able to map potential organic-rich regions on Ceres with higher resolution,” added co-author Juan Rizos, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland.
“We can see a very good correlation between organic matter with units from older impacts and with other minerals such as carbonates which also indicate the presence of water. Although the origin of organic material is still poorly understood, we now have strong evidence that it formed on Ceres and most likely did so in the presence of water.”
Study implications
The potential astrobiological implications of this research are enormous. “It is possible that large organic reservoirs could be found within Ceres. “So, in my opinion, these results increase the astrobiological potential of Ceres,” said Rizos.
Discoveries like those on Ceres underscore the important role organic materials on Earth play for life in space. This is exemplified by the recent discovery of organic material on Mars by NASA’s Perseverance rover.
The implications of these findings, especially as they relate to Mars, are far-reaching. “They are an interesting clue for astrobiologists because they are often thought to be the building blocks of life,” concluded Joseph Razzell Hollis, a postdoctoral researcher at London’s Natural History Museum.
The study was presented at the Geological Society of America’s GSA Connects 2023 meeting on October 17.
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2023-10-22 06:49:28
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