Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Bright yellow deposits in Consus Crater have reignited debates about Ceres' origins. These ammonium-rich materials offer new clues into the dwarf planet's cryovolcanic activity and geologic history, potentially reshaping our understanding of the solar system.
Credit: NASA
Ceres, unlike most asteroids, displays evidence of cryovolcanism—eruptions of salty, icy brine from its interior. The Dawn spacecraft identified bright salt deposits across its craters, revealing a dynamic process shaping its surface over billions of years.
Credit: NASA
Located in Ceres' southern hemisphere, Consus Crater features an unusual smaller crater within it. Bright, yellowish deposits are found on the edges of this smaller crater, hinting at recent subsurface activity that has brought ancient material to the surface.
Credit: NASA
Studies from the Max Planck Institute show these bright spots contain ammonium-rich minerals. This finding challenges previous theories that Ceres formed in the outer solar system, suggesting instead that its ammonium comes from deep within.
Credit: NASA
According to Dr. Andreas Nathues of MPS, ammonium-rich brines may have seeped into Ceres' crust over billions of years. As cryovolcanic events occurred, they pushed this material up, forming the bright specks observed in Consus Crater.
Credit: NASA
NASA’s Dawn mission provided detailed imagery and data from Ceres between 2015 and 2018. Its findings have been pivotal in uncovering subsurface processes, with Consus Crater serving as a crucial site for studying Ceres' geologic evolution.
Credit: NASA
Researchers believe that ammonium could be more concentrated in deeper layers of Ceres' crust. The impact that formed the small crater within Consus likely exposed these ancient, ammonium-rich deposits, giving scientists a window into Ceres' deep past.
The new findings question whether Ceres is an asteroid belt native or a visitor from the outer solar system. The presence of ammonium from within suggests Ceres might not have migrated as previously thought, but developed its complex chemistry in situ.
Representative pic
“Consus Crater is like a window into Ceres’ deep past,” says Dr. Ranjan Sarkar of MPS. At 450 million years old, it reveals geologic processes that have shaped Ceres' unique structure over billions of years, providing insights into early solar system activity.