Scientists reveal the possibility of life on a dwarf planet between Mars and Jupiter

The Universe constantly continues to surprise us. New findings from NASA’s Dawn mission — published in Science Advances — have potentially reshaped our understanding of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Once considered a barren, icy body, Ceres may have harboured the necessary conditions to support microbial life billions of years ago.

Ceres’ current state is not for those looking for a beach holiday, with surface temperatures plummeting to around -113°F (-80°C). However, new data suggests that, in its distant past, Ceres possessed a radioactive core capable of generating heat through the decay of radioactive elements. This internal warmth could have persisted for up to two billion years, potentially creating a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust.

The presence of water is a crucial factor in the search for life. On Earth, life thrives in environments where liquid water is available. Similarly, the hypothesised ocean on Ceres could have provided a stable environment for life to develop.

“On Earth, when hot water from deep underground mixes with the ocean, the result is often a buffet for microbes — a feast of chemical energy,” Samuel Courville, who led the study, said in a statement. “So it could have big implications if we could determine whether Ceres’ ocean had an influx of hydrothermal fluid in the past.”

Scientists had already detected organic molecules on Ceres’ surface which adds to the possibility that the dwarf planet had the essential building blocks for life, but the newly discovered potential internal warmth gives them the final key to the mystery.

“The presence of water and carbon molecules are two critical pieces of the habitability puzzle on Ceres‚” NASA’s JPL explains, “The new findings offer the third: a long-lasting source of chemical energy in Ceres’ ancient past that could have made it possible for microorganisms to survive. This result does not mean that Ceres had life, but rather, that there likely was “food” available should life have ever arisen on Ceres."

The implications of these findings extend beyond Ceres. They suggest that other icy bodies in our solar system, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, might also have once supported life, two hugely intriguing bodies for scientists in the modern era.

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