As of: February 14, 2024, 6:35 p.m
By: Tanja Banner
Comments
Press
Split
The mothballed infrared telescope “SOFIA” provided the data: A research team has succeeded in finding molecular water on asteroids.
© Courtesy of NASA/Carla Thomas/SwRI
Asteroids are remnants from the time the solar system was formed.
A research team has now looked closely and made a discovery.
San Antonio – The question of whether asteroids or comets could have carried water or other vital elements to our planet has long been a subject of scientific debate.
Scientists around the world are currently examining samples from the asteroid “Bennu” that were collected by the American space agency NASA.
However, there are also alternative methods for studying these celestial bodies.
German-American infrared telescope observes asteroids
For example, a team from the Southwest Research Institute in the USA analyzed data from the now decommissioned “SOFIA” telescope.
“SOFIA” (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) was a converted aircraft with an infrared telescope, a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Although the project is no longer active, the data collected is still available.
A few years ago, scientists used SOFIA to detect molecular water in sunlit lunar craters.
These research results formed the basis for the current study, published in
The Planetary Science Journal
, explains Anicia Arredondo, the study's lead author: "We thought we could use 'SOFIA' to find this spectral signature on other celestial bodies." .
Molecular water discovered on two asteroids
The focus of the study was on asteroids.
“They are leftovers from the process of planet formation, so their composition varies depending on where they formed in the solar nebula,” Arredondo said.
“The distribution of water on the asteroids is of particular interest because it can provide information about how the water got to Earth.” Arredondo's team found what they were looking for on two asteroids: “We looked at the asteroids 'Iris' and “Massalia” discovered a feature that can clearly be traced back to molecular water,” reports the scientist in a statement.
As she adds, "the amount of water on the asteroid is consistent with that of the sunlit moon." It is possible that water on asteroids is bound to minerals or adsorbed to silicate and trapped or dissolved in silicate impact glass, Arredondo said.
My news
Stars on the edge of the Milky Way behave strangely - read “Something is wrong somewhere”.
Life on Mars: Researchers discover unexpected bacteria problem reading
Read why the total solar eclipse in April could be particularly dramatic
Tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean is being torn apart
Rare discovery in space: Saturn's moon Mimas has an ocean reading
When the next full moon will be in the sky - read the list with all the dates for 2024
No clear results for less bright asteroids
However, the research team was unable to obtain clear results for the two less bright asteroids “Parthenope” and “Melpomene” because the “SOFIA” instrument used was apparently not sensitive enough to clearly detect water.
Another telescope will now be used: the currently most powerful infrared telescope in the world, the “James Webb” space telescope.
According to Arredondo, the first measurements have already been carried out.
“We have submitted a proposal for the next observation cycle to examine a further 30 targets,” says the scientist, giving an outlook on the future. “These studies will improve our understanding of the distribution of water in the solar system.” (
tab)
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
Learn more about our AI principles here
.