In the dwarf planet Ceres, US astronomers have found traces of two huge pits. Groove diameter of more than 800 kilometers are located in the south pole.
According to scientists, these failures are traces of the bombardment of asteroids Ceres.
In this computer simulation, conducted by astronomers, reveals that over the past 4.55 billion years to dwarf planet were to appear 10-15 craters with diameters greater than 400 kilometers and about 40 craters with diameters greater than 100 kilometers. Nevertheless, Ceres no craters that are larger than 285 km.
Total in the world there are more than 16 depressions with a diameter of 96 kilometers. The reason for this, scientists see the active geological processes that occurred in the past at the site.
Astronomers are based on data transmitted Dawn station, which is now investigating Ceres. This allowed for a topographic map of the planet.
At the site revealed a large amount of water ice. In addition, Dawn gave information about the following cryovolcanism. Water with dissolved salts, according to scientists, could migrate from the surface layers of the celestial body and fill an emerging large craters on it.
Check the resulting simulation data, scientists hope in 2018, when the Dawn will approach the minimum distance to the Ceres.
Ceres, discovered in 1801. Its diameter is 950 kilometers. That makes the planet the largest celestial body in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
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