Dawn interplanetary probe sent new images of the dwarf planet Ceres




Photo Ceres treated by specialists i>

The study of the solar system is very active, and recently scientists received new data from interplanetary probe Dawn. The information obtained is a series of pictures in a better resolution than those photos that were scientists until now. Pictures probe made 13 January this year, at a distance of approximately 383,000 kilometers. Observation of Ceres was conducted for about an hour, and the scientists were able to create an animated "picture" of the planet (in continuation).

Resolution photos of Ceres obtained by astronomers now - 27 pixels. Earlier in the probe sent the photo resolution Ceres is approximately 9 pixels. The image that can be seen in anonsnoy photos obtained after further processing - Combined photos taken in normal and infrared ranges.



Animated images made up of a series of images of Ceres i>

In the next few weeks, the probe should send much better photos dwarf planet. The orbit of Ceres, the probe will be released March 6 - anyway, so scientists hope. The best in quality photographs of Ceres yet considered the images obtained Hubble Space Telescope in 2003 and 2004. Those photos that scientists have now about 20% lower quality than pictures from the Hubble. However, after a couple of weeks, astronomers will get the highest quality photos Tserrery on record - because Dawn is approaching the planet.



This is the original image of Ceres, the doctoral January 13 i>

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt. The diameter of the planet is 950 kilometers. Perhaps for Ceres has huge deposits of water ice. Some scientists believe that under the thick ice crust may exist and liquid water ocean.



This increased the original image of Ceres i>

If the probe Dawn will be able to successfully take a position on the orbit of Ceres, it will be the first time that the earth was visited by the device dwarf planet. Now a team of experts looks forward to receiving the highest quality pictures of the space object. According to scientists, there can be a lot of surprises.

At the time of data probe Dawn handed over 30 thousand images. Until Ceres probe examined the second largest object in the asteroid belt - Vesta (diameter 525 22kilometrov), from 2011 to 2012.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/244548/