News Archive / Tagged: Ceres

• Solar activity controls Ceres’ tenuous atmosphere

  Laurel KornfeldApril 7th, 2017

  A new study by scientists working on NASA's Dawn mission indicates Ceres' atmosphere is controlled by solar activity rather than by its relative closeness to the Sun. In observations conducted since the 1990s, the dwarf planet's tenuous atmosphere has mysteriously appeared, disappeared, and reappeared at various times.

• Ceres’ bright spots significantly younger than crater they inhabit

  Laurel KornfeldMarch 9th, 2017

  Researchers who studied images of Ceres' Occator Crater captured by the Dawn spacecraft's scientific imaging system have determined that its bright spots, composed largely of carbonate salts, are significantly younger than the crater in which they sit.

• Dawn spacecraft finds evidence of organic materials on Ceres

  Jim SharkeyFebruary 19th, 2017

  NASA's Dawn spacecraft has detected evidence of organic materials on Ceres, a dwarf planet that is the largest object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

• Ceres covered in hidden ice, studies suggest

  Paul KnightlyDecember 19th, 2016

  The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA have announced a series of new findings from the Dawn spacecraft currently orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres that point to the existence of ice within its crust.

• Higher Dawn orbit produces breathtaking new images of Ceres

  Laurel KornfeldNovember 21st, 2016

  NASA's Dawn spacecraft has captured dramatic new views of the dwarf planet, Ceres, including one of Occator Crater – the site of the uncanny bright spots.

• Higher orbit will help Dawn address science questions about Ceres

  Laurel KornfeldSeptember 3rd, 2016

  In order to obtain a different view of Ceres' surface and address science questions regarding the dwarf planet, NASA's Dawn spacecraft began raising into a higher orbit starting on Sept. 2, 2016, using the spacecraft's onboard ion engine.

• Ceres’ interior revealed by gravity data

  Laurel KornfeldAugust 5th, 2016

  NASA's Dawn spacecraft does not have the necessary equipment capable of studying Ceres' interior, but remote measurements of subtle changes in the impact of the dwarf planet's gravity on the spacecraft have revealed its internal structure.

• Ceres’ surface has cold regions that can trap water ice

  Laurel KornfeldJuly 10th, 2016

  Using data from cameras aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft, as well as computer models, mission scientists have identified areas on the surface of Ceres' northern hemisphere that never receive sunlight and are, therefore, capable of trapping water ice.

• Brighest area on Ceres may be due to hydrothermal activity

  Jim SharkeyJuly 1st, 2016

  According to a new study by scientists with NASA's Dawn mission, the brightest area on Ceres, located inside Occator Crater, has the highest concentration of carbonate minerals ever observed anywhere other than on Earth. The study, published online in the journal Nature, is one of two recent papers about the chemical composition of Ceres.

• Life on Ceres? Mysterious changes in the bright spots still baffle scientists

  Tomasz NowakowskiMay 26th, 2016

  Bright spots on Ceres continue to puzzle researchers. Recently, when a team of astronomers, led by Paolo Molaro of the Trieste Astronomical Observatory in Italy, conducted observations of these features, they found out something unexpected: The scientists were surprised to detect that the spots brighten during the day and also show other variations; the variability still remains a mystery.

• Dawn’s closest views of Ceres show bright craters

  Jim SharkeyApril 22nd, 2016

  NASA's Dawn spacecraft has given scientists spectacular close-up images of Ceres from its lowest mapping orbit of 240 miles (385 kilometers) above the dwarf planet's surface. The images provide the best views so far of several craters and other features on Ceres.

• Dawn team presents close-up images of Ceres at conference

  Laurel KornfeldMarch 27th, 2016

  New, close-up images of various regions on Ceres' surface along with data the spacecraft obtained about the dwarf planet's surface composition were presented by members of NASA's Dawn team on Tuesday at the 47th annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held at The Woodlands, Texas.

• Dawn marks anniversary of entering Ceres’ orbit

  Laurel KornfeldMarch 8th, 2016

  NASA's Dawn mission has marked the first anniversary of the spacecraft's entrance into orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres on March 6, 2015.

• Animation shows Ceres’ colors, terrains, 215 years after discovery

  Laurel KornfeldJanuary 31st, 2016

  Using images taken by the Dawn spacecraft, members of the mission's framing camera team created an animation simulating the various features and terrains that a viewer would see if he or she actually had the opportunity to fly over Ceres.

• Closest Dawn images reveal detailed craters, terrains

  Laurel KornfeldJanuary 16th, 2016

  Orbiting just 240 miles (385 km) above the surface of Ceres, NASA's Dawn spacecraft has captured detailed images of the dwarf planet's craters and various terrains. Kupalo Crater, one of the youngest craters on Ceres, reveals many fascinating attributes at the high image resolution of 120 feet (35 meters) per pixel.