Dawn captures sharper images of Ceres

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Press Release

These two views of Ceres were acquired by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on 12th February 2015, from a distance of about 52,000 miles (83,000 kilometres) as the dwarf planet rotated. The images, which were taken about 10 hours apart, have been magnified from their original size. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
These two views of Ceres were acquired by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft on 12th February 2015 as the dwarf planet rotated. The images, which were taken about 10 hours apart, have been magnified from their original size. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Craters and mysterious bright spots are beginning to pop out in the latest images of Ceres from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. These images, taken 12th February at a distance of 52,000 miles (83,000 kilometres) from the dwarf planet, pose intriguing questions for the science team to explore as the spacecraft nears its destination.

“As we slowly approach the stage, our eyes transfixed on Ceres and her planetary dance, we find she has beguiled us but left us none the wiser,” said Chris Russell, principal investigator of the Dawn mission, based at UCLA. “We expected to be surprised; we did not expect to be this puzzled.”

Dawn will be gently captured into orbit around Ceres on 6th March. As the spacecraft delivers better images and other data, the science team will be investigating the nature and composition of the dwarf planet, including the nature of the craters and bright spots that are coming into focus. The latest images, which have a resolution of 4.9 miles (7.8 kilometres) per pixel, represent the sharpest views of Ceres to date.

The spacecraft explored the giant asteroid Vesta for 14 months during 2011 and 2012. Scientists gained numerous insights about the geological history of this body and saw its cratered surface in fine detail. By comparing Vesta and Ceres, they will develop a better understanding of the formation of the Solar System.