New images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft revealed features of the dwarf planet Ceres in stunning detail. Scientists have been fascinated by Ceres' unique features since its discovery, and the current photographs get up close and personal, with the spacecraft reaching its lowest altitude yet on Ceres. The pictures were taken between Dec. 19 and Dec. 23 at an altitude of 240 miles (385 kilometers), which is almost the same altitude that it is currently flying at.
The pictures revealed the Kupalo Crater, one of the youngest on the planet, in great detail, showing off its unique attributes in high-resolution. One of these attributes is its bright rim - although its brightness likely stems from salts, scientists will continue to examine it and determine if the material is related to similar looking bright spots on the Occator Crater.
"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, a member of the Dawn team, in a press release.
Due to the low vantage point, the spacecraft was also able to catch the Dantu Crater and the dense fractures that line it. These fractures are similar in appearance to those on Tycho, the young crater on Earth's moon. In addition to Dantu, the photographs captured the slope and ridges of a 20-mile-wide crater just west of it, which likely formed during the crater's formation.
"When we set sail for Ceres upon completing our Vesta exploration, we expected to be surprised by what we found on our next stop. Ceres did not disappoint," said Chris Russell, principal investigator for the mission. "Everywhere we look in these new low-altitude observations, we see amazing landforms that speak to the unique character of this most amazing world."
The Dawn spacecraft, which was the first spacecraft to ever orbit a dwarf planet, according to Space, will continue its mission at the current altitude for an indefinite amount of time until the prime mission's end Jun. 30.
