Using data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR, scientists at the Southwest Research Institute have detected water molecules on the surface of an asteroid for the first time. Scientists examined four silicate-rich asteroids with the FORCAST instrument to isolate mid-infrared spectral signatures indicating molecular water in two of them.

The lead author of the article in The magazine is Dr. “Asteroids are remnants of the planet-forming process, so their composition varies depending on where in the solar nebula they formed,” said Anicia Arredondo. Journal of Planetary Science About this discovery. “The distribution of water on asteroids is of particular interest because it may shed light on how water is delivered to Earth.”

Anhydrous or dry silicate asteroids form near the Sun, while icy materials coalesce farther away. Understanding the positions and compositions of asteroids tells us how the materials in the solar nebula have distributed and evolved since their formation. The distribution of water in our solar system will provide insight into the distribution of water in other solar systems and, since water is essential for all life on Earth, will determine where to look for potential life both in our solar system and beyond.

“We discovered a property uniquely attributed to molecular water in the asteroids Iris and Massalia,” Arredondo said. “We based our research on the success of the team that found molecular water on the sunlit surface of the moon. We thought we could use SOFIA to find this ghostly signature in other bodies.”

SOFIA detected water molecules in one of the largest craters in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. Previous observations of both the Moon and asteroids had found some form of hydrogen but failed to distinguish water from its close chemical cousin, hydroxyl. Scientists have found water chemically bound to minerals in one cubic yard of soil scattered across the moon’s surface, roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce bottle of water.

“The abundance of water on the asteroid, based on the intensity of the band of spectral features, is consistent with the amount of water on the sunny moon,” Arredondo said. “Similarly, on asteroids, water can bind to minerals as well as be adsorbed by silicates and become trapped or dissolved in the silicate shock glass.”

Data from two fainter asteroids, Parthenope and Melpomene, were too noisy to draw a definitive conclusion. It appears that the FORCAST instrument was not sensitive enough to detect the spectral characteristics of water, if any. However, with these findings, the team is commissioning the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s premier infrared space telescope, to use its sensitive optics and excellent signal-to-noise ratio to study more targets.

“We made initial measurements of two more asteroids with Webb in the second cycle,” Arredondo said. “We have another proposal to look at 30 more targets for the next cycle. These studies will improve our understanding of the distribution of water in the Solar System.”