Dawn At Ceres

  • Released Tuesday, March 24th, 2015
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:49PM
  • ID: 11758
A NASA spacecraft enters orbit around an unexplored world.

A NASA spacecraft enters orbit around an unexplored world.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft entered orbit around Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is what scientists call a dwarf planet—a spherical body that likely possesses a differentiated core and crust. Ceres has a diameter of 590 miles and is less than one-tenth the size of the moon. Images of Ceres taken by Dawn during its approach show that like the moon, its terrain is heavily cratered. The images also revealed bright spots on the asteroid that scientists say could be deposits left by liquid water. Ceres is thought to contain at least 25 to 30 percent water, some of which may exist in liquid form beneath its icy surface. Measurements made by Dawn during its one-year mission will provide insights into the composition and internal structure of the asteroid. Watch the video for a close-up look at Ceres.

This animation is a mosaic of images taken by Dawn roughly two weeks before it entered orbit around Ceres.

Dawn captured this partially shadowed image of Ceres from a distance of 30,000 miles.

Dawn captured this partially shadowed image of Ceres from a distance of 30,000 miles.

During its approach, Dawn observed a pair of bright spots (shown above) located within one of the asteroid’s impact craters.

During its approach, Dawn observed a pair of bright spots (shown above) located within one of the asteroid’s impact craters.

This two-dimensional projection of Ceres shows its surface is covered with craters produced by collisions with space rocks over eons.

This two-dimensional projection of Ceres shows its surface is covered with craters produced by collisions with space rocks over eons.

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cover image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
Ceres video and images courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA