Researchers have discovered that the dwarf planet Ceres has an "ancient ocean" with salt water, which means the space object may still be geologically active. Using data from NASA'S Dawn ...

Dwarf planet Ceres’ mystery bright spots get their close-up from Dawn probe. by Alan Boyle on March 22, 2016 at 12:55 pm March 22, 2016 at 1:05 pm. Share Tweet Share Reddit Email.

Tiny dwarf planet Ceres sits between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt, and this small body turns out to be full of surprises. A new analysis of data collected by NASA’s Dawn mission, which ...

The once-mysterious bright spots shining on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres are getting their closest close-ups from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, adding to the strangest sights of the solar system.

In 2007, NASA launched the Dawn spacecraft to the belt to study Ceres up close. After surveying the dwarf planet, tracing its blemishes and examining its sullen features, scientists reasoned it ...

A zoomed-in view of the dwarf planet Ceres, seen from a distance of 238,000 miles (383,000 kilometers) by the Dawn spacecraft on Jan. 13, 2015. The image hints at the presence of craters and other ...

The background: Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, was studied intensely by the Dawn orbiter from March 2015 to November 2018.

When Dawn arrived in 2015, Ceres became the first dwarf planet to be visited by a spacecraft. As it approached, Dawn discovered two bright white areas, named Cerealia Facula and Vinalia Faculae.

Return to Ceres: This dwarf planet could contain the clues to life’s ... The White House's proposal is just the opening volley in what will be months of budget negotiations with stakeholders ...

“Since its discovery in 1801, Ceres was known as a planet, then an asteroid and later a dwarf planet,” said Marc Rayman, chief engineer of director of the $473-million mission, in a statement.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A dwarf planet hiding right in the middle of our solar system could be a surprising source of frozen water, astronomers reveal. A new study finds that Ceres, which sits in ...