Recent findings from the Nasa Dawn spacecraft are leading researchers to theorize that the dwarf planet, Ceres, could have a vast brine ocean underneath its rocky surface.

Located between Mars and Jupiter, in the asteroid-belt, Ceres was once thought to be a barren landscape in the vastness of our solar-system. This discovery is quickly changing scientist perception of the rocky space-body.

“We can now say that Ceres is a sort of ocean world, as are some of Saturn’s and Jupiter’s moons,” said Maria Cristina De Sanctis, a co-author on the study.

Using a 22-million-year-old crater, Dawn was able to detect the dehydrated elements of a salty-water mixture on the surface of the crater. Hydrated chloride salts were found at the center of the crater making this the first time this unique hydrohalite compound has been found off Earth. Making this a once is a lifetime discovery.

The liquid may still be rising to the surface. Measurements from Dawn indicate that water was still present.

“For the large deposit at Cerealia Facula, the bulk of the salts were supplied from a slushy area just beneath the surface that was melted by the heat of the impact that formed the crater about 20 million years ago,” said Carol Raymond, Dawn's principal investigator at NASA.

Scientist are increasingly eager to continue researching our Ceres. While there are no expeditions planned for Ceres in the near future, findings from this mission will help on upcoming visits to Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.

This article was source from Coast to Coast and CNN