NASA finds evidence of ancient microbial habitats on Ceres
New NASA research suggests that Ceres—the biggest object in the asteroid belt—once had the right conditions to support microbial life.
Using data from the Dawn mission, scientists inferred the presence of salts and organic molecules from its surface and subsurface, along with chemical energy sources that microbes need to survive.
Ceres had an underground ocean, much like Earth's deep-sea vents
Between 2.5 and 4 billion years ago, heat from radioactive decay inside Ceres powered hydrothermal fluids into a hidden salty ocean.
This underground world was packed with organics and energy, much like Earth's deep-sea vents where life thrives without sunlight.
Findings expand the search for extraterrestrial life across our solar system
Finding signs of old briny water and organics on Ceres suggests small icy worlds across our solar system may have once been home to microbes—not just famous moons like Europa or Enceladus.
It opens up new places to look for past or present life as future missions take shape.