New images of the dwarf planet Ceres provides new details of the mysterious and heavily-cratered object.
The photos were taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from a distance of about 2,700 miles above Ceres' surface, the University of California, Los Angeles reported.
"Everything we learn from Ceres will be absolutely new," said Christopher Russell, a UCLA professor of space physics and planetary science, and the Dawn mission's principal investigator. "We approach it in awe and almost total ignorance."
Dawn's visit to Ceres is scheduled to last for more than a year, and previously visited the minor planet Vesta, which is the second largest body in the asteroid belt. In the past, researchers have studied Vesta meteorites that have fallen to Earth, but we have never before had access to material from Ceres. There is not believed to be water on Vesta, but researchers have suggested there could be water or ice hidden below Ceres' rocky exterior. Researchers are hopeful that the Dawn mission will provide a new understanding of the composition of Ceres, as well as the origins of these bodies.
Dawn is powered by a type of technology called ion population that allows the craft to use fuel 10 times more efficiently than standard rockets. It boasts two high-resolution cameras that allow it to capture stunning images of the dwarf planets it encounters. Russell and his team will be analyzing the data sent back by the spacecraft. In 2014, they were awarded the Trophy for Current Achievement, the National Air and Space Museum's highest honor in the fields of aerospace science and technology.
"The Dawn flight team and the Dawn science team are high achievers, but the spacecraft itself is the highest achiever," Russell said.
