Using the FORCAST instrument on NASA’s retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), astronomers have obtained mid-infrared spectra of four S-type (silicate-rich) asteroids: Iris, Parthenope, Melpomene, and Massalia. They’ve detected a feature that is unambiguously attributed to molecular water on two asteroids, Iris and Massalia.
“Asteroids are leftovers from the planetary formation process, so their compositions vary depending on where they formed in the Solar Nebula,” said Dr. Anicia Arredondo, a planetary researcher at the Southwest Research Institute.
“Of particular interest is the distribution of water on asteroids, because that can shed light on how water was delivered to Earth.”
Anhydrous, or dry, silicate asteroids form close to the Sun while icy materials coalesce farther out.
Understanding the location of asteroids and their compositions tells us how materials in the Solar Nebula were distributed and have evolved since formation.
The distribution of water in our Solar System will provide insight into the distribution of water in other planetary systems and, because water is necessary for all life on Earth, will drive where to look for potential life, both in the Solar System and beyond.
“We detected a feature that is unambiguously attributed to molecular water on the asteroids Iris and Massalia,” Dr. Arredondo said.
“We based our research on the success of the team that found molecular water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.”
“We thought we could use SOFIA to find this spectral signature on other bodies.”
SOFIA detected water molecules in one of the largest craters in the Moon’s southern hemisphere.
Previous observations of both the Moon and asteroids had detected some form of hydrogen but could not distinguish between water and its close chemical relative, hydroxyl.
Scientists detected roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce (355 ml) bottle of water trapped in a cubic meter of soil spread across the lunar…
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