Space & Astronomy

Bright spots on Ceres revealed in new image

By T.K. Randall
September 9, 2015 ·  40 comments

Scientists believe that the bright spots could be water ice. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech First picked up by the Dawn spacecraft during its approach to Ceres earlier this year, the enigmatic bright spots have captured both the attention of scientists and the imagination of the general public.

Sitting within a crater known as Occator, the bright spots can now be seen in unprecedented detail thanks to a new high resolution image created using a composite of two separate exposures.NASA is still not sure what the bright spots actually are however it is suspected that they are concentrations of either water ice or some other reflective material such as salt.

"Dawn has transformed what was so recently a few bright dots into a complex and beautiful, gleaming landscape," said Dawn mission director Marc Rayman. "Soon, the scientific analysis will reveal the geological and chemical nature of this mysterious and mesmerising extraterrestrial scenery."

A high resolution version of the photograph can be viewed on NASA's website - here.

Source: BBC News | Comments (40)

Tags: Ceres, Dawn