NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has beamed back a stunning new picture of the mysterious bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres.
A close-up of the mysterious bright spots on Ceres. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA.
The new image was taken on May 16, 2015 from a distance of 4,500 miles (7,200 km) and has a resolution of 2,250 feet (700 m) per pixel.
“Dawn scientists can now conclude that the intense brightness of these spots is due to the reflection of sunlight by highly reflective material on the surface, possibly ice,” said Dr Christopher Russell from the University of California, Los Angeles, who is the principal investigator for the Dawn mission.
Dawn arrived at Ceres on March 6, marking the first time a spacecraft has orbited a dwarf planet.
The spacecraft has been using its ion propulsion system to maneuver to its second mapping orbit at Ceres, which it will reach on June 6.
It will remain at a distance of 2,700 miles (4,400 km) from the dwarf planet until June 30. Afterward, it will make its way to lower orbits.
This image of Ceres was taken by the Dawn spacecraft on May 16, 2015, from a distance of 4,500 miles (7,200 km). Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA.
Since launching in 2007, the spacecraft has already visited Vesta, a giant protoplanet currently located 104 million miles (168 million km) away from Ceres.
The distance between Vesta and Ceres is greater than the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
During its 14 months in orbit around Vesta, Dawn delivered unprecedented scientific insights, including images of its cratered surface and important clues about its geological history.
NASA has also asked the public to vote on the cause of Ceres’ bright spots.
You can vote here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/dawn/world_ceres/
