Space
New Spectacular Views of Dwarf Planet Ceres Reveal Mysterious Features in Crater
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jan 13, 2016 09:08 AM EST
There are a few new images of the dwarf planet Ceres. Scientists have received new details of strange features that have piqued their interest throughout 2015 from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
The new images, in particular, focus on Kupalo Crater, one of the youngest craters on Ceres. This crater has many fascinating attributes, which can be seen at the new high image resolution of 120 feet per pixel.
The crater has bright material exposed on its rim, which could be salts. Its flat floor is likely formed from impact melt and debris. Researchers plan to look closely at whether this material is related to the "bright spots" that can be found in Ceres' Occator Crater.
Kupalo, in all, measures 16 miles across. It's located at southern mid-latitudes and may just tell researchers a bit more about the surface features of this world.
"This crater and its recently-formed deposits will be a prime target of study for the team as Dawn continues to explore Ceres in its final mapping phase," said Paul Schenk, one of the researchers, in a news release.
Dawn will continue to remain at its current altitude for the rest of its mission and indefinitely afterward. The end of the prime mission is scheduled for June 30 2016, but Dawn will remain in orbit until it finally crashes into the planet.
The new findings reveal a bit more about a dwarf planet. As Dawn winds up its exploration of this dwarf planet and Vesta, scientists are learning more than ever about these other bodies.
For more information about the Dawn mission, visit NASA's website.
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First Posted: Jan 13, 2016 09:08 AM EST
There are a few new images of the dwarf planet Ceres. Scientists have received new details of strange features that have piqued their interest throughout 2015 from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
The new images, in particular, focus on Kupalo Crater, one of the youngest craters on Ceres. This crater has many fascinating attributes, which can be seen at the new high image resolution of 120 feet per pixel.
The crater has bright material exposed on its rim, which could be salts. Its flat floor is likely formed from impact melt and debris. Researchers plan to look closely at whether this material is related to the "bright spots" that can be found in Ceres' Occator Crater.
Kupalo, in all, measures 16 miles across. It's located at southern mid-latitudes and may just tell researchers a bit more about the surface features of this world.
"This crater and its recently-formed deposits will be a prime target of study for the team as Dawn continues to explore Ceres in its final mapping phase," said Paul Schenk, one of the researchers, in a news release.
Dawn will continue to remain at its current altitude for the rest of its mission and indefinitely afterward. The end of the prime mission is scheduled for June 30 2016, but Dawn will remain in orbit until it finally crashes into the planet.
The new findings reveal a bit more about a dwarf planet. As Dawn winds up its exploration of this dwarf planet and Vesta, scientists are learning more than ever about these other bodies.
For more information about the Dawn mission, visit NASA's website.
Related Articles
NASA's Dawn Spacecraft Captures Closest Images Yet of Dwarf Planet Ceres
Exploding Star: Hubble Catches First-Ever Image
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone