The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #38 CERES - August 2025

PUZZLE #38 - CERES 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Asteroid Belt: Ceres is the largest object within the main asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This region is home to millions of asteroids and numerous other smaller bodies.

Ahuna Mons: This is a prominent, isolated mountain on Ceres, approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) high. It is believed to be a cryovolcano, a volcano that erupts ice and briny water rather than molten rock, suggesting active geology on Ceres.

Occator: Occator is a large impact crater on Ceres that contains the brightest region on the dwarf planet. This region is dominated by highly reflective salt deposits.

Salts: Bright spots, known as faculae, within Occator crater and other locations on Ceres are composed primarily of various salts, particularly sodium carbonate. These salts were brought to the surface by upwelling brines and cryovolcanic activity.

Piazzi: Giuseppe Piazzi was the Italian astronomer who discovered Ceres in 1801, initially classifying it as a planet. He was observing stars when he noticed a faint, moving object that turned out to be Ceres.

Differentiation: This term describes the process by which a planetary body separates into layers of different compositions and densities. In Ceres's case, it has differentiated into a rocky core and an icy mantle, indicating that it was once warm enough for its interior to melt and layers to separate.

Carbonaceous: Ceres is classified as a carbonaceous chondrite asteroid. This means its composition is rich in carbon compounds and resembles the most primitive type of meteorites, suggesting it formed early in the solar system's history and has undergone less alteration than some other asteroids.

Phyllosilicates: These are hydrated minerals, meaning they contain water molecules within their crystal structure. The detection of phyllosilicates on Ceres's surface by the Dawn spacecraft provides evidence of past interactions between rock and liquid water.

Faculae: These are the bright spots observed on Ceres, most famously within Occator crater. They are composed primarily of salt deposits left behind after the sublimation of briny water that reached the surface from below.

Secret Word: In the context of Ceres, it refers to highly concentrated salty water, likely existing as a liquid beneath Ceres's icy mantle. Evidence from the Dawn Mission suggests that brines have reached the surface through fractures and cryovolcanic activity.