Dawn Spacecraft Snaps the Best Image Yet of the Dwarf Planet Ceres

First Posted: Dec 06, 2014 07:25 AM EST
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The Dawn spacecraft has snapped its best and most detailed picture yet of Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt. As the spacecraft continues its trek to the unexplored world, it's shedding more light on new details about this dwarf planet.

Dawn was first launched in 2007, and has already visited Vesta, a giant protoplanet currently located 104 million miles away from Ceres. During its 14-month orbit around Vesta, the spacecraft delivered new information about the body, its cratered surface and important clues about its geological history.

Now the new image that Dawn has snapped of Ceres will serve as a final calibration of the science camera that is necessary before Dawn arrives at the dwarf planet. In the image, Ceres appears approximately as bright as Venus sometimes appears from Earth.

"Now, finally, we have a spacecraft on the verge of unveiling this mysterious, alien world," said Marc Rayman, chief engineer and mission director of the Dawn mission, in a news release. "Soon it will reveal myriad secretes Ceres has held since the dawn of the solar system."

Currently, Dawn is set to begin its approach phase toward Ceres on Dec. 26.

Want to learn more about the Dawn mission? You can find it online here.

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