Research aimed at uncovering the mysteries of our Solar System might have sparked a new glimmer of hope in the search for extraterrestrial life: Scientists have detected the presence of organic molecules necessary for life on the dwarf planet Ceres, located in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. This discovery suggests that the deep oceans on Ceres may provide a habitable environment.

Could there be life on the planet Ceres?

A research team led by Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina De Sanctis from Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics has been studying data collected from NASA’s Dawn mission in 2012.

The discovery of aliphatic organic chemicals spread over hundreds of square kilometers around the Ernutet Crater on Ceres has generated excitement in the scientific community. Due to their sensitivity to space radiation, these organic molecules are believed to have emerged relatively recently.

The research team simulated Ceres’ chemical composition in a laboratory setting to determine how long the organic materials around the Ernutet Crater have been on the surface.

In an effort to replicate the process known as “space weathering,” the mixture was exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation and fast-moving ions. The results showed that even when mixed with protective clay-like substances, aliphatic compounds could not withstand radiation for long periods, suggesting that hydrocarbons around Ernutet Crater may have surfaced within the last 10 million years.

One of the most notable findings is the possibility that these organic molecules might have formed deep within Ceres itself. Most simulations indicate that the organics were not delivered by comets or smaller asteroids but rather resulted from Ceres’ geological processes. This points to Ceres’ deep oceans as a dynamic environment that may have supported the formation and evolution of organic molecules for at least several hundred million years.

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