What is the 'shiny' substance on it's surface? Speculation?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/20/us/gallery/dawn-mission/index.html


Scientists think it may be ice.

A sea of mercury.

We might not learn what it truely is in our lifetime...

Did any of you space enthusiasts read any of the Snowden documents? Particularly the one that talked about who really controls the US Government.

(06-02-2015, 05:08 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: A sea of mercury.

Let me grab some crackers and mayonnaise and I love tuna.

(06-02-2015, 03:15 AM)EatonFan Wrote: What is the 'shiny' substance on it's surface?  Speculation?

Scientists think it may be ice.

Give them time, they'll say it's just a weather balloon.

What grabs my interest is the fact that it's only in that one tiny little section of Ceres.

I think it's some kind of ice volcano, but am hoping for the remains of an alien colony with the secret to nuclear fusion conveniently laying around

I am thinking methane that is reflecting sunlight.

I think it's ice.

(06-02-2015, 05:08 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: A sea of mercury.

That would be cool. And, how is that not already the name of an album?

(06-04-2015, 07:48 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: That would be cool.  And, how is that not already the name of an album?

Is it a theory (or fact?) that some asteroids have water?  So I thought I saw a theory it could be water remaining from an asteroid collision.

I never heard that before, along with the theory that all of Earth's water may have been brought here by asteroids millennia ago when impacts were pretty frequent.

And along those same lines, if Earth were to be obliterated by a giant asteroid, the pieces breaking off could become asteroids containing both water and organic matter....ultimately seeding life on another planet.

(06-05-2015, 01:14 AM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Is it a theory (or fact?) that some asteroids have water?  So I thought I saw a theory it could be water remaining from an asteroid collision.

I never heard that before, along with the theory that all of Earth's water may have been brought here by asteroids millennia ago when impacts were pretty frequent.

And along those same lines, if Earth were to be obliterated by a giant asteroid, the pieces breaking off could become asteroids containing both water and organic matter....ultimately seeding life on another planet.

Panspermia, I think is what they call that.  I've read some interesting theories that state that this is how life originated on this planet.

As for the pictures of Ceres....I have no clue what that is.  Does it show up in all photos, or could it just be a fault in a photo or two?

Comets have a high percentage of ice in their composition. Maybe its the remains of a comet impact. Also, Pluto and Ceres are way out at the outer edge of our solar system. They are at, or very close to a region called the Kiuper Belt which is part of the Oort Cloud where many comets are thought to originate. It follows that there may be many other smaller icy bodies out there....one of which may have collided with Ceres.

(06-05-2015, 10:16 AM)Beaker Wrote: Comets have a high percentage of ice in their composition. Maybe its the remains of a comet impact. Also, Pluto and Ceres are way out at the outer edge of our solar system. They are at, or very close to a region called the Kiuper Belt which is part of the Oort Cloud where many comets are thought to originate. It follows that there may be many other smaller icy bodies out there....one of which may have collided with Ceres.

You're thinking of Pluto and Charon.  Ceres is in the asteroid belt in between Mars and Jupiter.

(06-05-2015, 10:48 AM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: You're thinking of Pluto and Charon.  Ceres is in the asteroid belt in between Mars and Jupiter.

Correct.  I think the white spot may be a mineral deposit of some sort as well.  It stays pretty consist as far as brightness and I'd think it would vary a bit more if it were ice, but all is just speculation.

(06-05-2015, 10:48 AM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: You're thinking of Pluto and Charon.  Ceres is in the asteroid belt in between Mars and Jupiter.

Oh yeah. Charon, Ceres....mashed up in my brain.

Water vapor maybe