European Association for Astronomy Education

Source: ESO Science Release eso1609

Artist’s view of bright spots on Ceres imaged by the Dawn spacecraft .
Image credits: ESO/L.Calçada/NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/Steve Albers/N. Risinger (skysurvey.org)

Observations made using the HARPS spectrograph at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile have revealed unexpected changes in the bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres. Although Ceres appears as little more than a point of light from the Earth, very careful study of its light shows not only the changes expected as Ceres rotates, but also that the spots brighten during the day and also show other variations. These observations suggest that the material of the spots is volatile and evaporates in the warm glow of sunlight.(learn more)

Source: NASA Science News

Two views of Ceres acquired by Dawn  on Feb. 12, 2015, from a distance of about 83,000 kilometers as the dwarf planet rotated.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

Researchers are puzzled by a number of bright spots on Ceres, which are coming into focus as NASA's Dawn spacecraft approaches the dwarf planet. (read more)

Source: Dawn Mission Education and Communications

Note the timeline at upper right.

Dawn will enter Ceres' orbit on the first days of May 2015. This animation gives a three-dimensional view of Dawn’s complex approach to Ceres. The spacecraft deftly maneuvers into orbit with its ion propulsion system, flying to RC3 orbit, which is achieved when the thrust is turned off. (The size of Ceres is exaggerated compared to the size of the orbit here.) At the end, the viewpoint shifts to provide another perspective on the unique trajectory.

Credits: Space Daily

In March of 2015, NASA's Dawn mission will arrive at the dwarf planet Ceres, the first of the smaller class of planets to be discovered and the closest to Earth. Ceres, which orbits the Sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is a unique body in the Solar System, bearing many similarities to Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus, both considered to bepotential sources for harboring life. (read more)