Ceres is changing: the Dawn probe has recorded changes in the surface of the planetoid

Ceres. Source: ESO / L.Calcada / NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA / Steve Albers / N.Risinger

Observations on Ceres , one of the most interesting objects in the solar system, made it possible to record changes in the surface of the planetoid. As it turned out, Ceres is the only object of this class in the Solar System that continues to evolve and change. The Dawn probe allowed us to study the surface of the object, adding new data to the knowledge base about the solar system.

The observation was carried out using a spectrometer, and visually - by photographing the object. It is worth recalling that relatively recently, Dawn was able to detect a large amount of water ice on Ceres. In particular, it is especially numerous in some craters. The diameter of one of them is 20 kilometers. New observations from April to October 2016, showed an increase in the volume of ice on the crankcase walls.

"This is the first detection of changes in the surface of Ceres," said Andrea Raponi, a scientist from the Institute of Aerophysics and Planetology in Rome.
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Raponi led a study that revealed changes in the amount of ice on the surface of a dwarf planet. “A combination of factors such as the approach of Ceres to the Sun as it moves along its orbit, as well as seasonal changes led to the release of water vapor, which then settled on the cold wall of the crater. This led to an increase in the amount of ice on the planetoid. Warming can also lead to landslides, ”says the scientist.

Thanks to the collection of information about the chemical composition of the surface, the geological structure and new geophysical data, the Dawn mission turned out to be one of the most successful of all the Earth’s projects to study the Solar System and its objects. During the first study, scientists found that the thickness of the ice crust of Ceres is approximately 40 kilometers. Its composition is water (ice), salts, and, probably, organic compounds.

In the second study, scientists obtained new information on dynamic changes in the cortex. Presumably, a material has recently been found on the surface. Dawn had previously discovered carbonates, common to the surface of a dwarf planet, which are formed in ocean water. A variety of carbonates are found in the area of ​​the Occator crater, Oxo and the mountain of Ahuna Mons.


The probe sent photos of the highest mountain on the planetoid, Ahuna Mons. Its height is 4 kilometers. The base width is 17 kilometers. The mountain contains a large amount of soda, marked on the colorized illustration with green and red flowers. Source: NASA

The study, which was conducted by scientists from the Institute of Aerophysics and Planetology from Rome, led by Giacomo Carroso, revealed 12 zones rich in carbonates. In addition, other compounds were found. It is worth noting that water ice is not stable on the surface of a planetoid. Here ice exists for a long time only if it is hidden in the shadow. Otherwise, the ice quickly sublimates and disappears.

In addition, under the influence of external factors, hydrated carbonates are dehydrated for millions of years. The fact that hydrated carbonates were found on Ceres indicates the relative youth of the crust, and also that the processes of its formation continue. The crust is heterogeneous in composition due to various phenomena, including cryovolcanoes. Initially, the crust was homogeneous, since it was formed from the water of a liquid ocean, but after, over millions of years, its composition changed, becoming inhomogeneous.

The implementation of the Dawn project began in 1992, when the ion engines of the device were first introduced. Their main advantage, compared with rocket - a long work. The authors of the project received three refusals from the leadership of NASA, but in 2001 the mission nevertheless received approval. As part of the mission, the Dawn probe was to visit the two largest objects in the asteroid belt: Vesta, the largest asteroid in the solar system, and Ceres, the dwarf planet.

The project turned out to be very successful - the probe fulfilled all the tasks, adding to the piggy bank of scientific knowledge. The information transmitted by the device to Earth will be decrypted for a long time, data has been received much more than scientists were able to process in these few years. The apparatus itself remained with Ceres forever at the end of its mission.