NASA just published a series of high-resolution photos of Planet Ceres ‘ s intriguing glowing patches. The photographs were obtained by the NASA-controlled Dawn probe, which is now in the planet’s lowest orbit. What are the rays of hope?
The salt deposit is located in the southwest portion of the Facula Cereali, near the Occator crater on Ceres, and was photographed by the Dawn mission on June 22.
The bright patches identified in the Occator crater piqued scientists’ interest in the high-resolution photographs returned by Dawn’s mission, which clearly show the rocky surface.
Because the specks show out against the black backdrop, they can be seen plainly. Since Dawn spotted them in 2015, these brilliant spots have piqued the interest of the general public and experts.
Dawn was in the lowest orbit of the planet on June 6 when it managed to send back hundreds of photographs and data, which assisted scientists in learning more about Ceres.
According to NASA
, the Ceres data collected from Dawn exceeded all expectations. The resolution of the images is less than 5 meters per pixel.
The public’s fascination with these brilliant spots began when NASA released a picture from Ceres in February 2015, when the photography was much more mysterious than it is now.
Those brilliant specks were once thought to be extraterrestrial cities, but after extensive analysis, it was determined that they are actually salt deposits.
The high-resolution photographs exceeded expectations since they revealed precise features on the planet’s surface, allowing scientists to appreciate Ceres’ beauty.