Salt discovered on asteroid in outer Solar System hints at a lost ocean in space

Asteroids, which orbit close to Earth, not only pose a remote threat of collision but also offer valuable insights into the universe's mysteries. The team found evidence of salt minerals, including sodium carbonate, halite, and sodium sulfates, which suggest that liquid saline water once existed within Ryugu's parent body. Experts believe that Ryugu was once part of a larger parent body that existed about 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after the solar system's formation. The discovery of these salt minerals has broader implications for understanding the role of water in the development of planets and moons in the outer Solar System. Researchers expect similar sodium salts to be found on the dwarf planet Ceres, in water plumes from Saturn's Enceladus, and on Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede, which are believed to harbor subsurface oceans.