NASA Reveals Best Shots Of Dwarf Planet Ceres To Date
- 9 years ago
NASA unveiled the best photos the Dawn spacecraft has taken to date of Ceres, a dwarf planet that will be revealed in more detail during its 16-month study.
NASA has just released the best images the Dawn spacecraft has taken to date of the dwarf planet Ceres.
Taken at a distance of 238,000 miles, the images are 27 pixels across in resolution, which is about three times the quality of photos taken in early December.
Scientists have detected hints of surface craters but will be able to get a better look as Dawn enters Ceres’ orbit in early March, beginning a 16-month exploration of the planet.
Ceres is considered a dwarf, or “embryonic,” planet which was left among the remnants of planetary formation in the asteroid belt that spins between Mars and Jupiter.
It is the largest body in the belt, making up about a third of the mass, and may contain heavy amounts of ice and possibly an ocean.
Since Ceres is one of the least known parts of the solar system, NASA launched the Dawn
NASA has just released the best images the Dawn spacecraft has taken to date of the dwarf planet Ceres.
Taken at a distance of 238,000 miles, the images are 27 pixels across in resolution, which is about three times the quality of photos taken in early December.
Scientists have detected hints of surface craters but will be able to get a better look as Dawn enters Ceres’ orbit in early March, beginning a 16-month exploration of the planet.
Ceres is considered a dwarf, or “embryonic,” planet which was left among the remnants of planetary formation in the asteroid belt that spins between Mars and Jupiter.
It is the largest body in the belt, making up about a third of the mass, and may contain heavy amounts of ice and possibly an ocean.
Since Ceres is one of the least known parts of the solar system, NASA launched the Dawn