Ceres continues to intrigue NASA and the world astrophysics community in brand new images released today. The images were transmitted by the Dawn Mission from its final and closest orbit of Ceres.
The NASA images of Ceres focus on a feature called the Haulani Crater, with material that appears to shine brightly from the middle of its 21-mile (34-kilometer) diameter. The image also provides a number of clues about the surface of Ceres, including evidence of landslides along the rim of the crater. There are ridges and smoother areas that hint at tectonic activity. In enhanced false-color view, the material looks blue, a hue that has been associated with features that have only recently formed on Ceres' surface.
NASA's Dawn Mission has racked up a couple of impressive firsts in the field of space exploration. It is the first spacecraft to orbit two different objects in the main asteroid belt. It also represents the very first time in history that humanity has been able to explore a dwarf planet.