Asteroids

A new study has revealed the presence of water molecules [blank] the surface of two asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. This discovery challenges the previous assumption that these asteroids were completely dry and could explain the origin and distribution of water in our solar system. The study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, used data from the SOFIA airborne telescope, [blank] detected water signatures on Iris and Massalia, two silicate-rich asteroids. The amount of water was comparable to that found on the lunar surface by the same telescope in 2020. The finding of water on [blank] asteroids suggests that they formed far enough from the sun to avoid losing their water due to heat. It also supports the theory that asteroids may have delivered water and other elements to early Earth through impacts. The researchers plan to [blank] the James Webb Space Telescope to look for water on more asteroids and understand their composition and history.