NASA released new images of the bright spots on Ceres and astronomers still they don’t have a clue for their origin.
Can you solve the mystery of Spots on Ceres? Are they salt flats? Ice reflecting sunlight? Excavated ice?
The above image was taken by Dawn from an altitude of 2,700 miles (4,400km) and shows how the spots are scattered over a region that measures about 55 miles (90 kilometers) across. Credit NASA
Dr Chris Russel, principal investigator for the Dawn mission based at the University of California, Los Angeles, said:
‘Some people have offered they might be ice, but I don’t consider that necessarily the most likely explanation.’
Craters in the northern hemisphere of the dwarf planet Ceres are seen in this image taken by Dawn spacecraft on 6 June 2015. Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
On Nasa’s website, you are asked to vote: What’s the spot on world Ceres?
Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? On March 6, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike. Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be. So, go ahead! Cast your vote below.
source NASA
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