 On 9 December 2015 , NASA scientists reported that the bright spots on Ceres may be related to a type of salt , particularly a form of brine containing magnesium sulfate hexahydrite ( MgSO4 · 6H2O ) ; the spots were also found to be associated with ammonia @-@ rich clays . Another team thinks the salts are sodium carbonate . 
 On 9 December 2015 , NASA scientists reported that the bright spots on Ceres may be related to a type of salt , particularly a form of brine containing magnesium sulfate hexahydrite ( MgSO4 · 6H2O ) ; the spots <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> also found to be associated with ammonia @-@ rich clays . Another team <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>thinks</mark></a> the salts are sodium carbonate . 
On 9 December 2015 , NASA scientists reported that the bright spots on Ceres may be related to a type of salt , particularly a form of brine containing magnesium sulfate hexahydrite ( MgSO4 · 6H2O ) ; da spots was also found to be associated with ammonia @-@ rich clays . Another team think the salts r sodium carbonate .