Astrobiological Significance of Small Icy Bodies

Recent planetary missions have revealed the diversity of icy worlds in our solar system. The Dawn mission at Ceres and New Horizons at Pluto have detected geophysical and/or geological evidence for subsurface oceans in these objects. These missions, as well as population-level surveys with astronomical observatories, for example the James Webb Space Telescope and Very Large Telescope, have highlighted the rich chemistry of these worlds, for example in the form of salts and organic compounds.

There is now general consensus that large swaths of ice-rich bodies migrated from the outer solar system to the inner solar system, potentially playing a role in the development of habitable conditions on Earth and Mars. Ceres itself, the most water rich body in the inner solar system after Earth, likely formed within the orbits and the giant planets. This dwarf planet displays pervasive evidence of past water-rock interactions in presence of carbon dioxide that led to the formation of vast expanses of carbonates. The 2023-2032 Origins, Worlds, and Life decadal survey features a sample return mission from Ceres in the list of New Frontiers targets. This talk will review the state of understanding icy asteroids in the inner solar system, with a focus on Ceres, and address prospects for the future exploration of these objects.