February 15, 2024 01:36 AM EST
Dr. Swapnil Surwase
Designed and Produced by
This discovery made by using data from the SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) telescope.
Astronomers first time discovered water on the surface of two asteroids.
Astronomers studied four asteroids they are rich with silicates.
By using Faint Object InfraRed Camera of SOFIA, astronomers found two of them asteroids shows presence of water molecules on the surface.
Iris and Massalia are the names of that two asteroids, According to astronomers asteroids are remnants of planetary formation.
Previously Asteroid Bennu sample detected with water molecules, but now water molecules found on the surface of asteroid.
SOFIA observatory's observations of moon suggest water on the moon, it is similar to 12 ounce bottle of water trapped in a cubic meter of soil.
Iris is 199 Kilometers in diameter and Massalia 135 Kilometers in diameter.
Image credit: Courtesy of NASA/Carla Thomas/SwRI