Dwarf planet Ceres is an ocean world: scientists

Scientists have discovered that Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt, is an ocean world with a brine reservoir beneath its surface. The Dawn mission by NASA provided data showing bright areas on Ceres, which are due to the presence of sodium chloride and ammonium chloride in the brine. This brine is rising to the surface through fissures created by a meteor impact millions of years ago. These findings were published in Nature Astronomy and Geoscience.

What recent discovery about Ceres was highlighted in the studies published in Nature Astronomy and Geoscience?

• Ceres is an ocean world with brine beneath its surface.

• Ceres is composed entirely of ice.

• Ceres has a dense atmosphere.

• Ceres has a volcanic surface.

What was the primary objective of the Dawn mission as it passed Ceres?

• To land on Ceres and explore its surface.

• To collect samples from the surface.

• To measure the temperature of Ceres.

• To capture images and make gravity measurements.

What did the Dawn mission's data reveal about the brine reservoir under Occator crater?

• It is composed of pure water.

• It contains no organic chemicals.

• It is about 40 kilometers deep and hundreds of kilometers wide.

• It is a solid ice formation.

What are the main components of the brine found beneath Ceres' surface?

• Sodium chloride and ammonium chloride.

• Calcium carbonate and magnesium sulfate.

• Carbon dioxide and methane.

• Sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

How did the meteor impact influence the movement of brine on Ceres?

• It caused the brine to sink deeper into the planet.

• It created fissures that allowed the brine to rise to the surface.

• It evaporated the brine completely.

• It froze the brine beneath the surface.