Question

An infrared spectrometer on Dawn found something unexpected on Ceres's surface. Its presence suggested that Ceres might have formed farther from the Sun, or been impacted by objects from a more-distant part of the solar system. What was this finding

Answer 1

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An infrared spectrometer on Dawn found something unexpected on Ceres's surface. Its presence suggested that Ceres might have formed farther from the Sun, or been impacted by objects from a more-distant part of the solar system. What was this finding?

1. The fact that Ceres is covered with small dark particles  that appear identical to the composition of Uranus's rings.

2. The presence of a thick cloud layer made of sulfuric acid, similar to what is observed at Venus.

3. The presence of clay-like minerals with ammonia bound up in them.

4. The infrared spectrum of Ceres's surface is essentially identical to that of most objects in the Kuiper Belt.

Answer: 3. The presence of clay-like minerals with ammonia bound up in them.

Explanation: The discovery of ammonia clay-like minerals in Ceres is surprising because it would be encoutered in planets that are far from the Sun, since ammonia requires colder temperatures, which is found beyond Jupiter's orbit, to condense. This finding can ascertain not only the origins of the dwarf planet as how the solar system was formed, were organized and evolved, because understanding where smaller planets are formed is important to determine their destiny.