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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Dawn spacecraft captures new images of Ceres' Occator Crater [spaceflightinsider.com]

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has entered into its final planned orbital position from which it will study the dwarf planet Ceres, the lowest the probe has descended to the tiny world since it arrived in orbit on March 6, 2015.

The probe is powered by three xenon ion thrusters and it enter into its new orbit around the dwarf planet on June 6, 2018. Since then, the spacecraft has begun beaming back to Earth stunning new and closer images [nasa.gov] of this tiny worldlet.

One of Dawn's targets is Occator Crater. While the name might not ring a bell even among space enthusiasts, the "bright spots" contained within the crater should. These deposits are thought to be salt from briny water that erupted from the dwarf planet's surface before sublimating. It was found that the bright regions were comprised of sodium carbonate. On Earth, these salts are left behind when water evaporates.

Dawn was instructed to fire its ion engine—for what could be the last time—last week. By carrying out this maneuver, the probe flew closer to the dwarf planet's Cerealia Facula. This is the region of Occator Crater that contains a large deposit of sodium carbonate.

Perhaps more important than the cool photographs will be the data collected by the spacecraft's two other instruments [wikipedia.org], and particularly the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND).

Previously: Ceres Bright Spots Seen Closer Than Ever [soylentnews.org]
Life On Ceres? Mysterious Changes in the Bright Spots Still Baffle Scientists [soylentnews.org]
Bright Areas on Ceres Suggest Geologic Activity [soylentnews.org]
Evidence of a Seasonal Water Cycle and Surface Changes Found on Ceres [soylentnews.org]
Dawn's Orbit Around Ceres: A New Low [soylentnews.org]
Dawn's Orbit Around Ceres: First Images [soylentnews.org]

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