NASA scientists, using a camera aboard the agency’s Dawn spacecraft, have created a stunning mosaic image of a small part of Ceres’ surface. The mosaic shows Occator crater and surrounding terrain from an altitude of 915 miles (1,470 km).
This mosaic of images from Dawn’s third science orbit highlights Occator crater and surrounding terrain. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA.
Occator crater is home to a cluster of strange bright spots. The crater is about 60 miles (90 km) across and about two miles (4 km) deep.
“The walls of the crater are nearly vertical in some areas, although in others a large amount of material has slipped into its interior,” said Dawn team member Dr Ralf Jaumann of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
“Also, these two extremes are located immediately next to one another.”
Occator’s walls appear sharp-edged when viewed from an altitude of 915 miles.
About 25% of the crater walls are almost vertical. In contrast, large sections of the edges immediately adjacent have slipped down into the inside of the crater.
“Perhaps there are differences in the material composition around the rim of Occator crater – or the strength may vary. In addition, cracks and plains are scattered across the crater interior.”
This close-up image shows Occator crater and a cluster of bright spots. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA.
The images used to make the newly-released mosaic were taken during the first of six mapping cycles during Dawn’s high-altitude mapping orbit.
The spacecraft is now on its way to the final orbit of the mission, called the low-altitude mapping orbit.
Dawn will spend more than 7 weeks descending to this vantage point, which will be less than 235 miles (380 km) from the surface of the dwarf planet.
In December 2015, it will begin taking observations from this orbit, including images at a resolution of 120 feet (35 m) per pixel.
