NASA published a map of Ceres


    When you click, the image will open in full size (NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA)

    The Dawn probe continues to work, and scientists continue to process the information sent by this station. Now, NASA experts have published a detailed map of the planetoid. As it turned out, Ceres has a rather diverse relief, with a height difference of up to 15 kilometers.

    The map was created on the basis of images sent by the interplanetary station Dawn. Specialists analyzed various photographs, and based on them developed a published map. In addition, scientists have already made some conclusions regarding the relief of Ceres. When clicked, the image will open in full size (NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA)




    “The craters that we found on Ceres, if we analyze their depth and diameter, are very similar to what we already found on Dion and Tethys, two ice satellites of Saturn, whose density and size are about the same as those of Ceres,” he said Paul Schenk, one of the representatives of the project team.

    The official names are given to some craters and other formations on the surface of the planetoid, these are the names of spirits and deities related to agriculture in the mythology of various civilizations.



    So far, the most interesting object on Ceres is the Occator crater, 90 kilometers wide and 4 kilometers deep. At the bottom of this crater are those same bright spots, the origin of which scientists are now trying to find out.

    There are deeper craters, for example, Dantu (120 km in diameter and 5 depth) and Ezinu (similar size). A larger object is the Urvara Crater with a diameter of 160 km and a depth of 6 km. Moreover, in the central part of the crater there is a peak 3 km high.

    The diameter of Ceres itself is 940 km, and this is the largest object in the asteroid belt, which is located between Mars and Jupiter. In fact, the size of Ceres is about 40% of the size of Pluto.

    Also popular now: