Water Detected on Asteroid Surface for the First Time, Scientists Say

The discovery of water traces on the Moon marked a monumental step in human exploration of the cosmos, igniting a continued interest in discovering life beyond Earth. Recently, this quest has led scientists to detect water on asteroid surfaces for the first time, utilizing data gathered by the SOFIA infrared telescope. This groundbreaking find involves the asteroids Iris, with a diameter of 199 km (making it about 99 percent larger than most asteroids), and Massalia, measuring 135 km across, both orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

Previously, it was assumed that any water on these celestial bodies would have long vanished due to evaporation. However, this discovery challenges such assumptions. Both Iris and Massalia are located in the asteroid belt, orbiting at an average distance of 2.39 astronomical units from the Sun and taking approximately 3.7 years to complete a single orbit.

The detection of water was made possible by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which ceased operations in 2022. SOFIA’s Faint InfraRed Camera (FORCAST) played a crucial role in identifying water molecules on the surface of these asteroids, measuring them to be equivalent to 350 millimeters of water in a cubic meter of soil. This discovery mirrors SOFIA’s 2020 revelation of water on the Moon, highlighting the telescope’s significant contributions to space exploration.

Dr. Anicia Arredondo, the study’s lead author from the Southwest Research Institute, explained that the water found on Iris and Massalia shares similar characteristics with lunar water, being incorporated into minerals and absorbed by silicates. The research also attempted to analyze water presence on the fainter asteroids Parthenope and Melpomene, but the data was inconclusive due to excessive noise.

This limitation indicates that the FORCAST instrument might not have the necessary sensitivity to detect water’s spectral feature on these bodies. The research team plans to conduct further studies to better understand water distribution across the Solar System. They aim to utilize the James Webb Space Telescope’s advanced optics and enhanced signal-to-noise ratio to continue their investigations, hoping to uncover more about water’s presence and distribution in space.