NASA's Dawn Captures Clearest Image Yet of Ceres' Mysterious Bright Spots (VIDEO)

First Posted: Sep 09, 2015 04:42 PM EDT

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned the best images yet of Ceres' strange, bright spots. The new images show off the unusual features in unprecedented detail, which may allow scientists to determine exactly what they are.

The new images reveal what is known as the Occator crater. In fact, the new vantage point reveals better-defined shapes of the brightest, central spot in this area and the features on the crater floor. Because these spots are so much brighter than the rest of Ceres' surface, the Dawn team combined two different images into a single composite view-one properly exposed for the bright spots and one for the surrounding surface.

Scientists have also produced animations that provide a virtual fly-around of the crater, including a colorful topographical map.

The new data reveals that the rim of the crater is almost vertical in some places, where it rises steeply for one mile.

"Dawn has transformed what was so recently a few bright dots into a complex and beautiful gleaming landscape," said Marc Rayman, Dawn's chief engineer and mission director, in a news release. "Soon, the scientific analysis will reveal the geological and chemical nature of this mysterious and mesmerizing extraterrestrial scenery."

The new images show what's in store for scientists in the future. As more and better images of the tiny world are beamed back to Earth, scientists may learn more than ever about Ceres.

Want to see Ceres for yourself? Check out the video below, courtesy of NASA and YouTube.