NASA investigates the origin of the dwarf planet Ceres with the Dawn spacecraft

Using data collected by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, scientists have investigated the origin of the dwarf planet Ceres. This study aims to answer a basic question: Did Ceres form in the main asteroid belt or did it migrate there from the outer regions of the solar system?

According to Tekna Technology Media’s astronomy news service, Ceres, as the largest object in the main asteroid belt, has always been of interest to scientists. The presence of frozen ammonia on the surface of the dwarf planet, which is stable only in the colder regions of the solar system, had strengthened the hypothesis that Ceres may have migrated from the outer regions into the main asteroid belt.

However, a recent study of the Consus impact crater, one of the oldest structures on Ceres, suggests that the dwarf planet likely formed early in the main asteroid belt. Max Planck Institute researcher Ranjan Sarkar, pointing to the great depth of this crater, stated that its study allows scientists to understand the processes of formation and internal evolution of Ceres. The results of this research show that Ceres may be composed of the same raw material as other objects in the main asteroid belt. However, more studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

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