AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts 2x4i5b Technology News

New AI research suggests organic molecules on Ceres likely originated from asteroid impacts, not internal activity. 2h3e7

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 3 February 2025 18:00 IST

AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts

Photo Credit: NASA 6t6r3f

Dwarf planet Ceres has been reassessed using AI analysis of data gathered by NASA's Dawn spacecraft

Highlights

AI analysis suggests Ceres' organics came from asteroid impacts
Study finds no link between organic molecules and cryovolcanism
Slow asteroid collisions may have preserved organic materials

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The presence of organic molecules on the NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Scientists have mapped regions rich in these compounds to determine whether they originated within Ceres or were delivered from external sources. Previously, it was believed that cryovolcanic activity on Ceres transported these molecules from beneath the surface. However, recent findings indicate that these organics were likely deposited by asteroid impacts rather than being internally generated.

Organic Deposits Mapped with AI Analysis 5j2350

According to the organic molecules are actually rare on Ceres, and devoid of any cryovolcanic signatures. This challenges previous assumptions that cryovolcanic activity was responsible for bringing organic material to the surface.

Asteroids from the Outer Belt as a Possible Source q2o2j

As reported, the study suggests that organic compounds on Ceres were likely delivered by low-velocity asteroid impacts. Simulations indicate that asteroids from the outer asteroid belt frequently collide with Ceres, but their relatively slow speeds prevent organic materials from being destroyed by heat. Martin Hoffmann, a researcher at MPS, explained to Nature Astronomy that "at none of the deposits do we find evidence of current or past volcanic or tectonic activity: no trenches, canyons, volcanic domes or vents." This reinforces the idea that these molecules arrived externally rather than being produced within Ceres.

Dwarf Planet Ceres Once Hosted a Muddy Ocean Below Its Icy Surface

The findings the possibility that organic molecules were present in the outer solar system early in its history and may have later been transported to inner planets, playing a role in the development of life on Earth.

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