Herschel Telescope Detects Water on Dwarf Planet Ceres
Posted on January 22, 2014
Scientists using the Herschel space observatory have detected water on the dwarf planet Ceres, which is located in the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is the largest and roundest object in the asteroid belt. The plumes of water vapor are believed to shoot up periodically when its icy surface warms slightly. A larger version of the above artist's impression can be found here.
Michael Kuppers of ESA in Spain, lead author of a paper in the journal Nature, said in the announcement, "This is the first time water vapor has been unequivocally detected on Ceres or any other object in the asteroid belt and provides proof that Ceres has an icy surface and an atmosphere."
A graph here from NASA shows variability in the intensity of the water absorption signal detected at Ceres by Herschel on March 6, 2013.
NASA's Dawn spacecraft will approach Ceres in late January 2015.