Ceres ’ shining spot have been a winking mystery for months , but NASA in the end reckon it ’s solved the riddle : No , we ’re not looking at a giant exotic ice rink . More potential , enormous pile of salt .
“ We trust this is a huge salt deposit , ” principal tec for the Dawn spacecraft Chris Russell state scientists on Monday at the European Planetary Science Congress . “ We know it ’s not glass and we ’re passably sure it ’s salt , but we do n’t cognize on the nose what salt at the present time . ”
As NASA ’s Dawn space vehicle continues its volute toward gnome planet Ceres , we ’re discovering a world filled with geological complexity and unknown , gleam billet . The largest of the spots — a roughly six - mile across-the-board eyepatch in the ominously - named Occator Crater — was visible from afar , but now , we ’re close enough to see that the brightness is everywhere . Even some of Ceres ’ mountains are smeared with shining streak .
A yet - to - be - named batch also bears the mysterious brightness . Image Credit : NASA / JPL - Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA
Back in May , Russellspeculatedthat the smirch are do by “ the reflexion of sun by highly brooding fabric on the airfoil , possibly ice . ” While the sparkler hypothesis fit with another hypothesis — that Ceres might be hiding a subsurface ocean — Russell recognise that further subject were call for in club to affirm the spot ’ composition .
Now , as Russell explained in his late talk , data point on the reflectivity of the bright topographic point has harness out water ice . Based on the spots ’ albedo , we ’re pretty certain Ceres is incrust in salt .
“ [ Strategic Arms Limitation Talks ] tells me that this is an active surface , ” Russell said . “ Some comet or asteroid did not come in carry table salt , this is infer from the interior somehow . ”
As for how or why Ceres is oozing salt ? That ’s another skill secret for you ! For the next two months , Dawn will continue its descent , accept even closer shots of Ceres and continuing to collect scientific data in parliamentary law to start the closed book of the now - probably - salt - peck . Sit nasty worldling , the answer are coming !
[ CNETviaYouTube ]
Top : The Occator Crater , color - coded to show differences in elevation , via NASA / JPL - Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA
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