Using data from NASA’s now-retired Dawn spacecraft, scientists have found that Ceres, a dwarf planet and the largest object in the asteroid belt, may have once had a lasting source of chemical energy. The Dawn data revealed evidence of molecules needed to fuel microbial metabolisms on Ceres.
While the finding doesn’t confirm that microorganisms existed on Ceres long ago, it does support theories that the dwarf planet may have once been capable of supporting single-celled lifeforms.