Although the mysterious bright spots emanating from Ceres' dark surface have caused some to speculate the possibility of alien activity, new research conducted by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research found that the lights are the result of mineral salts, as outlined in their study.
Ceres has more than 130 bright areas on its surface, and the majority of them are associated with impact craters. The researchers believe that the materials that make up these bright areas are consistent with a type of magnesium sulfate salt called hexahydrite; on Earth, the closest magnesium sulfate is Epsom salt.
Andreas Nathues, who led the study, believes that these salt-rich areas are the result of the sublimation of water-ice in the past, which was eventually unearthed due to asteroid impacts.
"The global nature of Ceres' bright spots suggests that this world has a subsurface layer that contains briny water-ice," he said in a press release.
Ceres' surface possesses an average diameter of 584 miles and is generally dark, with a similar level of brightness as asphalt. This makes the bright patches sprinkled on its surface even more noticeable, with the brightest spots reflecting approximately 50 percent of the sunlight shining on the area.
One of the most interesting bright spots is located in the inner portion of the Occator crater, which currently contains the brightest material found on Ceres. Scientists estimate its age to be 78 million years old, making it one of the youngest features on Ceres.
"The Dawn science team is still discussing these results and analyzing data to better understand what is happening at Occator," said Chris Russell, principal investigator of the Dawn mission.
