This picture of the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres was taken by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft from a range of about 3,200 miles (5,100 km) on 23 May 2015.
This image is part of a sequence taken by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft on May 23, from a distance of 3,200 miles (5,100 km). Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA.
The image shows numerous secondary craters, formed by the re-impact of debris strewn from larger impact sites.
The region shown here is located between 13 degrees and 51 degrees north latitude and 182 degrees and 228 degrees east longitude.
After transmitting this and few other images to Earth, Dawn resumed ion-thrusting toward its second mapping orbit.
On June 3, the spacecraft will enter this orbit and spend the rest of the month observing Ceres from 2,700 miles (4,400 km) above the surface. Afterward, it will make its way to lower orbits.
Each orbit during this time will be 3 days, allowing the probe to conduct an intensive study of the dwarf planet.
This image of Ceres’ surface shows finer details coming into view as Dawn spirals down to increasingly lower orbits. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA.
Dawn arrived at Ceres on March 6. It is the first mission to visit a dwarf planet, and the first to orbit two distinct Solar System targets.
From July 2011 through September 2012, the spacecraft studied the protoplanet Vesta, the second largest object in the main asteroid belt.
