Recent Discoveries on Asteroid Vesta

Recent discoveries on the asteroid Vesta have revealed the presence of curved gullies and fan-shaped deposits, which are believed to have been created by transient flows of saltwater. This is an unexpected finding, given that Vesta is the second largest object in the asteroid belt and does not have an atmosphere, which suggests that it should be devoid of water. However, it is thought that the saltwater originated from subsurface ice that melted due to asteroid impacts. This liquid, in the form of brines, then flowed across the surface, shaping the terrain, before eventually refreezing.