Space & Astronomy

'Pyramid-shaped' mountain found on Ceres

By T.K. Randall
June 25, 2015 ·  60 comments

The pyramid-like mountain appears to be the only one of its kind on Ceres. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres has been no stranger to mystery and intrigue since photographs of it were first posted online.

Chief among its more unusual features are its bright spots which, having mystified experts during the approach of the Dawn spacecraft earlier this year, are now believed to be the result of surface ice glistening in the sunlight.

The latest images taken of the dwarf planet have also revealed what looks like a pyramid-shaped mountain that stands out like a sore thumb against its otherwise predominantly flat landscape.Measuring approximately one mile in height it isn't clear what the object is or how it got there.

"The surface of Ceres has revealed many interesting and unique features," said mission deputy principle investigator Carol Raymond.

"For example, icy moons in the outer solar system have craters with central pits, but on Ceres central pits in large craters are much more common. These and other features will allow us to understand the inner structure of Ceres that we cannot sense directly."

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Tags: Ceres, Pyramid