A Planet of Hidden Secrets
Ceres is located between the orbits of and Jupiter. Today, it is a barren, frozen wasteland, but 2.5 to 4 billion years ago, warm underground oceans may have thrived here.
Evidence from NASA’s Dawn mission revealed traces of salt, organic carbon, and remnants of ancient bodies of water. All of these are key ingredients for life.
A “Buffet” for Microbes
Modeling has shown that the decay of radioactive minerals in Ceres’ interior heated water to 270°C. Hot streams would rise to the surface, mixing with cold salty lakes and creating a cocktail of minerals and gases.
Such “hydrothermal vents” on Earth have been the cradle for the first living organisms. Unfortunately, over time, these radioactive energy sources faded. The planet cooled, the oceans froze, and the window of opportunity for life closed. Today, Ceres is an icy sphere with a thin layer of brine, too cold to support even the simplest microbes.
Why Is This Discovery Important?
Scientists believe that Ceres is just one example. If this small planet had the conditions for life due to its own energy, then there could be countless similar worlds in the Universe.
Professor Helen Williams from Cambridge summarized: “This discovery shows that life can arise in completely unexpected places.”
It turns out that “aliens” could very well have lived not in some distant galaxy, but right next door—between Mars and Jupiter.
Interesting Facts About Ceres:
- Diameter: 950 km
- Discovered on January 1, 1801, by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi at the astronomical observatory in Palermo
- The only dwarf planet in the inner Solar System
- Explored by NASA’s Dawn mission from 2015 to 2018.