| Session Description |
Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt and is considered an embryo that represents the early evolution of a planetary core on the way to a full size planet but ceased. It has long been suggested that Ceres hosts a significant amount of water beneath its surface, therefore hides potentially important clues about the distribution and evolution of volatiles in the solar system, including the source of terrestrial water. Dawn spacecraft started to orbit Ceres from May 2015, and is currently in its extended phase of Ceres exploration that is planned to complete by mid 2017. The high resolution visible images, visible and near-infrared hyperspectral data, and gamma ray and neutron data reveal significant detail about the status of water and other volatiles on Ceres, shifting the paradigm about the accretion and evolution of volatiles in large outer solar system bodies in their early lifetime. The important findings on Ceres, some quite unexpected, include ubiquitous ammoniated minerals, distributed surface water ice, latitude-dependent subsurface water contents, carbonates, possible salts, signatures of recent cryovolcanic activity, and a putative, variable exosphere. On the other hand, conflicting evidence exists about the abundance and mixing status of water and salts in the upper layer of Ceres’ crust, and many questions are to be answered to piece together the puzzle of Ceres, and to link Ceres to the formation of other planetary bodies and the evolution of solar system volatiles. Therefore, a Special Session in AOGS 2017 focused on the recent findings about the water rich world of Ceres by Dawn is timely, and will potentially promote future studies and collaborations to advance our understanding about Ceres and the history of volatiles in the solar system. |
