Interesting news about Ceres. Now they see two "spotlights" in there.
QuoteA dwarf planet is shining two bright lights at a NASA spacecraft right now, and our smartest scientists are unsure what they are.
(http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE1LzAyLzI2L2I2L1BJQTE5MTg1X2lwLmE4MjU5LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn/1d323224/280/PIA19185_ip.jpg)
As bizarre as that sentence sounds, that's the situation with Ceres — the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, officially designated as a dwarf planet (the same category as Pluto).
Quote(http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE1LzAyLzI2L2NhL3BpYTE5MTY4LjkwMTYyLmdpZgpwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/fc4df6c9/357/pia19168.gif)
Previous Dawn images from further away showed a single light on Ceres, which was just as mysterious. Then, to the amazement of every astronomy geek, the one light turned out to be two — reflecting roughly 40% of the light hitting them.
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/036/209/i02/dwarf-planet-ceres-illustration.jpg?1390412687)
QuoteAn artist's depiction of the dwarf planet Ceres. Observations by ESA's Herschel space observatory between 2011 and 2013 find that the dwarf planet has a thin water vapor atmosphere.
Quote"This is truly unexpected and still a mystery to us," said Andreas Nathues, lead investigator for the framing camera team at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany, in a NASA statement. "The brightest spot [of the two] continues to be too small to resolve with our camera, but despite its size it is brighter than anything else on Ceres."
So what could the bright spots be, other than alien castaways signaling at us with flashlights?
The most obvious contender is ice, although ice would reflect more than 40% of all light hitting it. The difference may be accounted for by the resolution limit of Dawn's camera at this distance. Scientists have previously detected water vapor coming from the surface of the dwarf planet, making ice — a more likely option.
Scientists have also suggested the bright areas could be patches of salt. On the other hand, the location of the two bright spots so close together may be an indication that they have a geologic origin, such as some sort of volcanic process, possibly even ice volcanoes.
According to Chris Russell, principal investigator for the Dawn mission, the positioning of the bright spots within the same area may indicate "a volcano-like origin of the spots," but scientists will have to wait for higher resolution images before making such interpretations. Scientists don't think the spots comprise lava similar to that seen on Earth, since that would shine more brightly.
We'll find out more as Dawn approaches Ceres next week and more imagery comes in during the next 16 months, according to NASA. In the meantime, here's more on Dawn and its eight-year mission:
http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/dawn/bright-spot-on-ceres-has-dimmer-companion/index.html#.VO51jFPF-2O (http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/dawn/bright-spot-on-ceres-has-dimmer-companion/index.html#.VO51jFPF-2O)
http://mashable.com/2015/02/25/strange-lights-dwarf-planet-ceres/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link (http://mashable.com/2015/02/25/strange-lights-dwarf-planet-ceres/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link)
QuotePotential for extraterrestrial life:
Although not as actively discussed as a potential home for extraterrestrial life as Mars, Titan or Europa, the presence of water ice has led to speculation that life may exist there,[65][66][67] and that hypothesized ejecta could have come from Ceres to Earth.[68]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_%28dwarf_planet%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_%28dwarf_planet%29)
Well we shall see in the next months. Or not ::)
A "bright spot" is not the same things as a "light", it could be just a much more reflective area with no light of its own.
But interesting in any case, thanks for posting. :)
Quote from: ArMaP on February 26, 2015, 08:58:21 AM
A "bright spot" is not the same things as a "light", it could be just a much more reflective area with no light of its own.
Quotation mark.
QuoteScare quotes or shudder quotes are quotation marks placed around a word or phrase to imply that it may not signify its apparent meaning or that it is not necessarily the way the quoting person would express its concept. The quotes serve a function similar to verbally prefixing a phrase with "so-called". When referred to as "scare quotes", the quotation marks are suggested to imply skepticism of or disagreement with the quoted terminology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark)
But you are right ArMaP, someone that read here on PRC may suffer of asperger syndrome and have some troubles with miscomprehension of nuance.
Just lets not derail the thread about it, as we did in the Zorgon one. ;)
QuoteBut interesting in any case, thanks for posting. :)
No problem.. You are welcome! :)
Delta V Deep Space Mining Platforms on Ceres..... - Dr Joe Resnick
'Bright Spot' on Ceres Has Dimmer Companion
(http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia19185-cr.jpg)
This image was taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft of dwarf planet Ceres on Feb. 19 from a distance of nearly 29,000 miles (46,000 kilometers). It shows that the brightest spot on Ceres has a dimmer companion, which apparently lies in the same basin.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Dwarf planet Ceres continues to puzzle scientists as NASA's Dawn spacecraft gets closer to being captured into orbit around the object. The latest images from Dawn, taken nearly 29,000 miles (46,000 kilometers) from Ceres, reveal that a bright spot that stands out in previous images lies close to yet another bright area.
"Ceres' bright spot can now be seen to have a companion of lesser brightness, but apparently in the same basin. This may be pointing to a volcano-like origin of the spots, but we will have to wait for better resolution before we can make such geologic interpretations," said Chris Russell, principal investigator for the Dawn mission, based at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Using its ion propulsion system, Dawn will enter orbit around Ceres on March 6. As scientists receive better and better views of the dwarf planet over the next 16 months, they hope to gain a deeper understanding of its origin and evolution by studying its surface. The intriguing bright spots and other interesting features of this captivating world will come into sharper focus.
"The brightest spot continues to be too small to resolve with our camera, but despite its size it is brighter than anything else on Ceres. This is truly unexpected and still a mystery to us," said Andreas Nathues, lead investigator for the framing camera team at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Gottingen, Germany.
Dawn visited the giant asteroid Vesta from 2011 to 2012, delivering more than 30,000 images of the body along with many other measurements, and providing insights about its composition and geological history. Vesta has an average diameter of 326 miles (525 kilometers), while Ceres has an average diameter of 590 miles (950 kilometers). Vesta and Ceres are the two most massive bodies in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter.
Dawn's mission is managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Dawn is a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. UCLA is responsible for overall Dawn mission science. Orbital ATK, Inc., in Dulles, Virginia, designed and built the spacecraft. The German Aerospace Center, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the Italian Space Agency and the Italian National Astrophysical Institute are international partners on the mission team. For a complete list of acknowledgements, visit:
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission
(http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia19184.jpg)
NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained these uncropped images of dwarf planet Ceres on Feb. 19, 2015, from a distance of about 29,000 miles (46,000 kilometers). They are part of a series taken as Dawn observed Ceres completing one full rotation, which lasted about nine hours.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/dawn/bright-spot-on-ceres-has-dimmer-companion/index.html#.VO-xinzF8rX
2 Views of Ceres on Approach
(http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/946xvariable_height/public/thumbnails/image/pia19183.jpg?itok=89Z0hPIE)
These images of dwarf planet Ceres, processed to enhance clarity, were taken on Feb. 19, 2015, from a distance of about 29,000 miles (46,000 kilometers), by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Dawn observed Ceres completing one full rotation, which lasted about nine hours.
The images show the full range of different crater shapes that can be found at Ceres' surface: From shallow, flattish craters to those with peaks at their centers. These views show sections of Ceres' surface that are similar to those in PIA19056.
Dawn is due to be captured into orbit around Ceres on March 6.
http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/dawn/pia19183/#.VO-xsHzF8rU
What could these bright spots be? Chris Russell, principal investigator for the Dawn mission, theorizes:
"Ceres' bright spot can now be seen to have a companion of lesser brightness, but apparently in the same basin. This may be pointing to a volcano-like origin of the spots, but we will have to wait for better resolution before we can make such geologic interpretations."
http://space.io9.com/the-mysterious-bright-spot-on-ceres-has-a-pretty-bright-1688022006
Original sighting..
NASA Finds Mysterious Bright Spot on Dwarf Planet Ceres: What Is It?
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/045/143/i02/ceres-zoom-in_arrow.jpg?1421945736)
A mysterious white spot can be seen in the newest images from NASA's Dawn space telescope, which is rapidly approaching the dwarf planet.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PS
A strange, flickering white blotch found on the dwarf planet Ceres by a NASA spacecraft has scientists scratching their heads.
The white spot on Ceres in a series of new photos taken on Jan. 13 by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which is rapidly approaching the round dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But when the initial photo release on Monday (Jan. 19), the Dawn scientists gave no indication of what the white dot might be.
"Yes, we can confirm that it is something on Ceres that reflects more sunlight, but what that is remains a mystery," Marc Rayman, mission director and chief engineer for the Dawn mission, told Space.com in an email
http://www.space.com/28336-mysterious-white-spot-on-ceres.html
Reminds me of the ESA one on Asteroid Eros
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/04images/Eros/000504eros.jpg)
(http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia19185-cr.jpg)
Water Detected on Dwarf Planet Ceres
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/20UMLR/03files/Ceres_Water.html
Bright lights on dwarf planet perplex NASA as probe nears.
(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9Y4aQ5gc8W.TkCY.6o2Tag--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg3NDtpbD1wbGFuZTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/be9be50632480c0c4c6cdd1a7230f0c4196fedd8.jpg)
The discovery of another bright light on the dwarf planet Ceres has NASA scientists perplexed as the US Dawn probe prepares to enter the orbit of the largest object in the asteroid belt and possibly resolve the mystery.
Related Stories
Mystery Spot on Dwarf Planet Ceres Has Mysterious Partner (Photos) SPACE.com
We've never seen the dwarf planet Ceres up close. That's about to change. Vox.com
Mysterious Bright Spots Shine on Dwarf Planet Ceres (Photos) SPACE.com
NASA Briefing to Discuss First Spacecraft Arrival at a Dwarf Planet PR Newswire
The images taken nearly 29,000 miles (46,000 kilometers) from Ceres show that a bright spot on the planet scientists previously discovered appears next to another slightly darker spot, NASA said in a news release.
The light appears in the same basin as the other spot, images released by NASA show.
"This may be pointing to a volcano-like origin of the spots, but we will have to wait for better resolution before we can make such geologic interpretations," Chris Russell from the Dawn mission said.
The Dawn probe will enter the orbit of Ceres March 6. Scientists expect to receive better views of the mystery lights as the spacecraft closes in and spirals nearer the dwarf planet.
"The brightest spot continues to be too small to resolve with our camera, but despite its size it is brighter than anything else on Ceres. This is truly unexpected and still a mystery to us," said scientist Andreas Nathues who is in charge of the camera.
Scientists detected water vapor emitting from Ceres in 2012 and NASA reports the surface of the body contains "water-bearing minerals."
Launched in 2007, the Dawn probe was sent to investigate the two largest bodies in the asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter.
Dawn explored giant asteroid Vesta starting in 2011, providing measurements and images. After 2012, the probe left Vesta's orbit and began its journey to Ceres.
Ceres has a diameter of about 590 miles (950 kilometers) and Vesta has a diameter of about 326 miles (525 kilometers).
http://news.yahoo.com/bright-lights-dwarf-planet-perplex-nasa-probe-nears-035329370.html
Looks like three of us posted this :P I merged the three
Apologies, I had missed the other posts...
but maybe 3 descriptions maybe better...hope they vary enough not to repeat to similarly... :-\
Quote from: zorgon on February 27, 2015, 06:05:31 AM
Looks like three of us posted this :P I merged the three
Thanks to user ZLD from http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=195 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=195)
(http://i.imgur.com/92iruXN.gif)
(http://i.imgur.com/tsm3wN0.gif)
Composition
(http://i2.wp.com/www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ceres-Tom-Ruen-montage-May-11.jpg)
QuoteWhere there were two, now there are 10! Ceres photographed on May 3 and 4 by NASA's Dawn spacecraft show multiple white spots inside the 57-mile-wide crater located in the asteroid's northern hemisphere. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA / montage by Tom Ruen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43_Wrq7UIWI
Source: http://www.universetoday.com/120244/ceres-white-spots-multiply-in-latest-dawn-photos/ (http://www.universetoday.com/120244/ceres-white-spots-multiply-in-latest-dawn-photos/)
Revised Ceres map:
(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=35865)
Source:http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=270 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=270)
Mission Status UpdatesQuote- from Chief Engineer/ Mission Director, Marc Rayman (JPL)
2015
May 26, 2015 - Dawn Reaching to Lower Altitudes
Dawn is following the carefully plotted trajectory around Ceres, maneuvering to prepare for its second mapping campaign next month. The probe's mapping orbits are nearly circular, but during the flight from one to another, the intermediate orbits are more elliptical. Tonight Dawn's complicated route will take it temporarily below the targeted mapping orbital altitude of 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers). It will descend to 2,500 miles (4,100 kilometers) tomorrow before beginning another ascent.
On May 22 Dawn photographed Ceres to help the navigation team maintain a tight fix on its orbital position. Controllers used the opportunity to acquire bonus visible and infrared spectra.
Source:http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html (http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html)
Mound:
(http://i.imgur.com/l1tj16W.gif)
QuoteHeres another way of viewing the mound in RC3. Centered and rotated the frames to reproject a flyover of the area. The mound appears to be sitting on either highlands or an uplift of some sort. Interesting!
Source:http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=285 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=285)
The "cone":
(http://i.imgur.com/Zo9tMJU.gif)
QuoteThis appears to be stranger than it first appeared to me. It almost seems to be a conical depression rather than a crater. Then, the bright areas appear to maybe even be flows from this depression. Maybe this is a ground level geyser?
(http://i.imgur.com/7gTcn1jm.gif)
Source:http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=285 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7981&st=285)
I will add all that to our Ceres pages
There is also THIS
Water Detected on Dwarf Planet Ceres
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Water.html
(http://umlr.net/04images/Ceres/asteroid-ceres-with-twin-014a.jpg)
Ceres ~ Small Dwarf Planet - Asteroid Belt
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Asteroid_Belt.html
Picked up a nice meteorite last night I was looking up something and spotted it Sometimes those google ads do help
$22.95 free shipping 6.1 grams
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTE3OFgxMzM1/z/EMEAAOSwBahVIQSS/$_57.JPG)
It seems dawn arrived the the survey orbit.
Time to keep the eyes wide open for news 8)
QuoteMission Status Updates
- from Chief Engineer/ Mission Director, Marc Rayman (JPL)
2015
June 3, 2015 - Dawn Arrives in Second Mapping Orbit
Dawn completed the maneuvering to reach its second mapping orbit and stopped ion-thrusting on schedule this morning. Since May 9, the spacecraft has reduced its orbital altitude from 8,400 miles (13,600 kilometers) to 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers). The orbit period has correspondingly decreased from 15.2 days to 3.1 days. Dawn is scheduled to begin its new observations on June 5, as explained in the most recent Dawn Journal. First, however, the mission control team will measure the actual orbit parameters accurately and transmit them to the spacecraft.
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html (http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html)
Yup we do.
I have started the info on Ceres here at UMLR I am going to use UMLR for all the current real space news
Since UMLR is now linked to Livingmoon as a subdirectory though it does not show that in the url, the combined traffic on all my sites now comes to Pegasus
Here are the pages so far I still need to add those animated gifs.
I would also like to update the old Indian and Chinese satellite missions We stopped because they didn't yield much but I should have a current file
Here is what we have on Ceres so far
Ceres ~ Small Dwarf Planet - Asteroid Belt
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Asteroid_Belt.html
Water Detected on Dwarf Planet Ceres
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Water.html
'Bright Spot' on Ceres Has Dimmer Companion
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Lights.html
I see I have to fix the images sigh.....
Here is the menu page with the articles I have updates so far
http://umlr.net/menu.html
So yeah lets keep a close eye on Ceres It has WATER and a base with the lights on :P
Edit to fix the first link.
Nice collage from an Italian user at NASA Blog: (click in the picture to enlarge)
(http://mondialieni.altervista.org/Ceres_Vesta_Cerere_planet_pianeta_enceladus_mimas_Chariklo_asteroid_comet_Bianchino_Daniele_Dawn_Lutetia.jpg)
QuoteDaniele Bianchino says:
March 3, 2015 at 9:59 am
Hello everyone, I am excited to new photos and for your great work; I'm very happy, and my question was read in the " Dwarft planet arrival, nasa jpl, March 2? (latest Question) :-D
This is my final collage, very accurate, I have represent in accurate scale Ceres, Vesta, the most important asteroids visited by a space probe, 3 icy moons (Mimas, Miranda, Enceladus), Mars moons (Phobos and Deimos) and the strange asteroid Chariklo (as I have imagined).
http://mondialieni.altervista.org/Ceres_Vesta_Cerere_planet_pianeta_enceladus_mimas_Chariklo_asteroid_comet_Bianchino_Daniele_Dawn_Lutetia.jpg
I hope all like it.
Daniele, Italy
Source: http://dawnblog.jpl.nasa.gov/2015/02/25/dawn-journal-february-25/ (http://dawnblog.jpl.nasa.gov/2015/02/25/dawn-journal-february-25/)
PIA19547: Ceres RC3 Animation
(http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/archive/PIA19547.gif)
This animation shows a sequence of images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on May 4, 2015, from a distance of 8,400 miles (13,600 kilometers), in its RC3 mapping orbit. The image resolution is 0.8 mile (1.3 kilometers) per pixel.
In this closest-yet view, the brightest spots within a crater in the northern hemisphere are revealed to be composed of many smaller spots. However, their exact nature remains unknown.
Dawn's mission is managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Dawn is a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. UCLA is responsible for overall Dawn mission science. Orbital ATK, Inc., in Dulles, Virginia, designed and built the spacecraft. The German Aerospace Center, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the Italian Space Agency and the Italian National Astrophysical Institute are international partners on the mission team. For a complete list of acknowledgements, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission.
For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov.
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Image Addition Date:
2015-05-11
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19547
Caught up :D
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Lights.html
I found it interesting that DAWN uses an ion drive... going to have to check in on that some more... got anything on that, Herr Zorgon?
8)
seeker
Ceres bright spots - there are more than the several that are in this one noted crater, which appears to have six or seven bright spots. Magnified these are much easier to actually see individually. However, because of this "rotating photo" of Ceres, it is more difficult to discern the others. If you will go to a negative display screen, you will more easily see other similar areas that were likewise white that are now black in negative screen. In the negative display screen, one can see what might be smoke trails near the spots - not really seeable/noticeable in regular screen mode, until one knows it is there from seeing it in negative screen.
Thus far, I cannot find a photo log that has a complete set of just individual photos of the complete circumference of Ceres. Also, it is difficult to do anything with rotating photos! :)
Here s another magnified screenshot of this Ceres crater i which one can see all of the several bright white spots.
(http://s17.postimg.org/8m581g2hb/Screen_Shot_2015_06_05_at_4_03_42_PM.jpg)
Quote from: rdunk on June 05, 2015, 11:10:15 PM
Thus far, I cannot find a photo log that has a complete set of just individual photos of the complete circumference of Ceres. Also, it is difficult to do anything with rotating photos! :)
It's an animated GIF, it's easy to decompose it into the 55 images used to create the animation. :)
Quote from: the seeker on June 05, 2015, 11:04:10 PM
I found it interesting that DAWN uses an ion drive... going to have to check in on that some more... got anything on that, Herr Zorgon?
Original article
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/01archives/Ion_Drives.html
Ion Engine Deep Space 1 probe that crashed into the Comet
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/01archives/Ion_Propulsion02.htm
Ion Drive Dawn
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_prop.asp
I have more somewhere but not sorted that section yet
Quote from: rdunk on June 05, 2015, 11:10:15 PM
Thus far, I cannot find a photo log that has a complete set of just individual photos of the complete circumference of Ceres. Also, it is difficult to do anything with rotating photos! :)
As Armap says a GIF is a collection of images put into an animation and is very easy to take apart
I would try here though
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/multimedia/latest-images_archive_1.html#.VXJTn9Ic6So
I'll wait for the USGS maps
If you want a zip file with all the images from the GIF converted to PNG, click here (https://meocloud.pt/link/ef599add-27bd-4f72-ac66-1b49b6042cea/PIA19547.zip/). :)
Quote from: ArMaP on June 06, 2015, 01:56:15 PM
If you want a zip file with all the images from the GIF converted to PNG, click here (https://meocloud.pt/link/ef599add-27bd-4f72-ac66-1b49b6042cea/PIA19547.zip/). :)
Thanks ArMaP!! That is the photos I was looking for. This far, not a lot to see on Ceres but those bright spots of this OP are certainly there.
A point of interest maybe - these bright spots are, besides being very bright, are likely huge to our frame of reference! The diameter of Ceres is 598 miles, and just the fact these bright spots are seeable at this distance and resolution would promote their bigness as fact.
Here is a bit different look at the same photos -created from images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft during its initial approach to the dwarf planet, prior to being captured into orbit in March 2015. In this color shot, we still can see the bright area, just above center in the photo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PIA19063-Ceres-DwarfPlanet-DawnMission-March2015.jpg
The map is an enhanced color view that offers an expanded range of the colors visible to human eyes. Scientists use this technique in order to highlight subtle color differences across Ceres. This can provide valuable insights into the physical properties and composition of materials on the surface. For example, scientists have not established clear connections between impact craters and the different colors visible here, but they are investigating this possibility.
Images taken using blue (440 nanometers), green (550 nanometers) and infrared (920 nanometers) spectral filters were combined to create the map. The filters were assigned to color channels in reverse order, compared to natural color; in other words, the short-wavelength blue images were assigned to the red color channel and the long-wavelength infrared images are assigned to the blue color channel.
(http://s17.postimg.org/faa8bec2n/Screen_Shot_2015_06_06_at_10_54_28_AM.jpg)
Quote from: rdunk on June 06, 2015, 08:32:37 PM
Here is a bit different look at the same photos -created from images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft during its initial approach to the dwarf planet, prior to being captured into orbit in March 2015. In this color shot, we still can see the bright area, just above center in the photo.
Yes, I saw that image some time ago. :)
QuoteThe map is an enhanced color view that offers an expanded range of the colors visible to human eyes. Scientists use this technique in order to highlight subtle color differences across Ceres. This can provide valuable insights into the physical properties and composition of materials on the surface. For example, scientists have not established clear connections between impact craters and the different colors visible here, but they are investigating this possibility.
Images taken using blue (440 nanometers), green (550 nanometers) and infrared (920 nanometers) spectral filters were combined to create the map. The filters were assigned to color channels in reverse order, compared to natural color; in other words, the short-wavelength blue images were assigned to the red color channel and the long-wavelength infrared images are assigned to the blue color channel.
(http://s17.postimg.org/faa8bec2n/Screen_Shot_2015_06_06_at_10_54_28_AM.jpg)
Interesting they inverted the colours. This is what that image looks like when using the red channel for the blue image and vice-versa.
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/Ceres_2.jpg)
So why does that area that is more YELLOW look like someone pasted a Pizza Slice over something?
:o
8)
::)
It wasn't me, I don't even like pizza. :)
Fly Over Dwarf Planet Ceres
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSaLVAl-ObY
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryGec9PdUCLjpJW2mgCuLw (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryGec9PdUCLjpJW2mgCuLw)
QuoteA new video animation of dwarf planet Ceres, based on images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, provides dramatic flyover views of this heavily cratered, mysterious world. The images come from Dawn's first mapping orbit at Ceres, at an altitude of 8,400 mile (13,600 kilometers), as well as navigational images taken from 3,200 miles (5,100 kilometers) away. The images provided information for a three-dimensional terrain model. The vertical dimension has been exaggerated by a factor of two, and a star field has been added in the background.
Source:http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1380 (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1380)
Bright Spots in Ceres' Second Mapping Orbit JUNE 10, 2015 :
(http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/images/wallpaper/PIA19568-640x350.jpg)
QuoteThe brightest spots on dwarf planet Ceres are seen in this image taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on June 6, 2015. This is among the first snapshots from Dawn's second mapping orbit, which is 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers) in altitude. The resolution is 1,400 feet (410 meters) per pixel.
Scientists are still puzzled by the nature of these spots, and are considering explanations that include salt and ice.
Source:http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-detail.html?id=PIA19568 (http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-detail.html?id=PIA19568)
Also some interesting comments taken from this forum:(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=71edfee2931f9342540f38185f4630a9&showtopic=7981&st=420 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=71edfee2931f9342540f38185f4630a9&showtopic=7981&st=420))
Comment from Jaro_in_Montreal
post Today, 01:58 PM
QuoteWith the image darkened a little, it looks as though some internal structure begins to appear in the white spots.....
(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36048)
Comment from alk3997
post Today, 03:18 PM
QuoteLots of compression artifacts when zoomed in. Below is a 4x view of white spot 5 with very little processing from the original.
(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36051)
QuoteThe dark streak to the east and attached to the main bright area, heading southeast, is interesting. I don't think that is a processing artifact.
I have to agree that almost none of the bright area is resolved even in this view. However, it almost looks to me that the main bright area is a mound covered by bright material. But that is certainly more imagination than analysis.
Source:http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=71edfee2931f9342540f38185f4630a9&showtopic=7981&st=420 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=71edfee2931f9342540f38185f4630a9&showtopic=7981&st=420)
UPDATED
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Lights.html
Update:
Ceres Spots Continue to Mystify in Latest Dawn Images(http://imagecache.jpl.nasa.gov/images/640x350/pia19579-16-640x350.jpg)
QuoteThe closer we get to Ceres, the more intriguing the distant dwarf planet becomes. New images of Ceres from NASA's Dawn spacecraft provide more clues about its mysterious bright spots, and also reveal a pyramid-shaped peak towering over a relatively flat landscape.
"The surface of Ceres has revealed many interesting and unique features. For example, icy moons in the outer solar system have craters with central pits, but on Ceres central pits in large craters are much more common. These and other features will allow us to understand the inner structure of Ceres that we cannot sense directly," said Carol Raymond, deputy principal investigator for the Dawn mission, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
(http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/dawn/20150520/world_ceres_640.jpg)
QuoteDawn has been studying the dwarf planet in detail from its second mapping orbit, which is 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers) above Ceres. A new view of its intriguing bright spots, located in a crater about 55 miles (90 kilometers) across, shows even more small spots in the crater than were previously visible.
At least eight spots can be seen next to the largest bright area, which scientists think is approximately 6 miles (9 kilometers) wide. A highly reflective material is responsible for these spots -- ice and salt are leading possibilities, but scientists are considering other options, too.
Dawn's visible and infrared mapping spectrometer allows scientists to identify specific minerals present on Ceres by looking at how light is reflected. Each mineral reflects the range of visible and infrared-light wavelengths in a unique way, and this signature helps scientists determine the components of Ceres. So, as the spacecraft continues to send back more images and data, scientists will learn more about the mystery bright spots.
In addition to the bright spots, the latest images also show a mountain with steep slopes protruding from a relatively smooth area of the dwarf planet's surface. The structure rises about 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the surface.
Ceres also has numerous craters of varying sizes, many of which have central peaks. There is ample evidence of past activity on the surface, including flows, landslides and collapsed structures. It seems that Ceres shows more remnants of activity than the protoplanet Vesta, which Dawn studied intensively for 14 months in 2011 and 2012.
Dawn is the first mission to visit a dwarf planet, and the first to orbit two distinct targets in our solar system. It arrived at Ceres, the largest object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, on March 6, 2015.
Dawn will remain in its current altitude until June 30, continuing to take images and spectra of Ceres in orbits of about three days each. It then will move into its next orbit at an altitude of 900 miles (1,450 kilometers), arriving in early August.
Full read/Source:http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-detail.html?id=4633 (http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-detail.html?id=4633)
Quote from: RUSSO on June 25, 2015, 12:16:32 AM
(http://imagecache.jpl.nasa.gov/images/640x350/pia19579-16-640x350.jpg)
This spot looks more like an outpost of ant we have found so far
Quote from: zorgon on June 25, 2015, 01:01:34 AM
This spot looks more like an outpost of ant we have found so far
Well... almost two weeks waiting for better pictures and that is their update >:(
Okay addition made Bottom of page
http://umlr.net/03files/Ceres_Lights.html
here is the full image
(http://umlr.net/04images/Ceres/PIA19579.jpg)
From HERE
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19579
Here are the closeups from the TIFF full version...
(http://umlr.net/04images/Ceres/PIA19579_02.png)
(http://umlr.net/04images/Ceres/PIA19579_03.png)
Those are LIGHTS :P Look at the closeup... The crater is dark and the light radiates out from the center points. Also notice the small spheres arranged around the main lights. Those are NOT pixel artifacts... those spheres
(http://umlr.net/04images/Ceres/PIA19579_03.png)
The rectangular 'structure' are pixel artifact but not the spheres IMO :P
(http://umlr.net/04images/Ceres/PIA19579_04.png)
Quote from: zorgon on June 25, 2015, 01:43:37 AM
Those are LIGHTS :P
Then those are very faint lights, as Ceres is very dark.
QuoteLook at the closeup... The crater is dark and the light radiates out from the center points. Also notice the small spheres arranged around the main lights. Those are NOT pixel artifacts... those spheres
Without enough resolution any small thing appears as one pixel or, if slightly bigger or brighter, four pixels, so when the image resized it will always look like a circle.
I will wait for better photos. :)
Quote from: ArMaP on June 25, 2015, 02:24:48 AM
so when the image resized it will always look like a circle.
Then how come only the spheres look like circles and the rest of the pixel artifacts at the same resolution are all rectangular?
::)
As I said on Facebook, if you look real close, they look like mounds of phosphorus protruding the crust. But that's just me!
Now this is a stretch so don't bash my post....
But what if the moon (Ceres) is hollow? And the crater impact has damaged the outer crust. (Thin layer) Now what we are seeing is an inner sun that is peaking out the hole.
Like a candle in a pumkin at halloween.
Quote from: Sgt.Rocknroll on June 25, 2015, 03:47:52 AM
As I said on Facebook, if you look real close, they look like mounds of phosphorus protruding the crust. But that's just me!
I have never seen "mounds of phosphorus protruding the crust" :P Can you show me an example?
Do we have any SCALE on these yet?
I would have thought you would have a 3d animation of the base by now :P
Quote from: zorgon on June 25, 2015, 02:32:47 AM
Then how come only the spheres look like circles and the rest of the pixel artifacts at the same resolution are all rectangular?
::)
That's why I was talking about "one pixel" or "four pixels" features, not about rectangular features. :)
Quote from: micjer on June 25, 2015, 04:00:37 AM
Now this is a stretch so don't bash my post....
But what if the moon (Ceres) is hollow? And the crater impact has damaged the outer crust. (Thin layer) Now what we are seeing is an inner sun that is peaking out the hole.
Like a candle in a pumkin at halloween.
I don't think so, it looks nothing like that.
Quote from: ArMaP on June 25, 2015, 02:24:48 AM
Then those are very faint lights, as Ceres is very dark.
Can we calculate and show how that would look to the naked eye based on information available about the camera sensitivity?
hey nasa - good guys that they are- have some ideas to share..lol
NASA may have finally figured out what these weird, white spots are
(http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/entityid/AAbZsdA.img?h=546&w=728&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f)
© Provided by Business Insider NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image showing a cluster of mysterious bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres from an altitude of 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers), on June 9, 2015.
NASA's Dawn spacecraft has beamed home the best-ever photo of the mysterious bright spots that speckle the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres.
The new image resolves Ceres' strange spots, which are found inside a crater about 55 miles (90 kilometers) wide, into a cluster comprised of several patches, some of which were not visible in previous photos. But it doesn't solve the mystery of the spots' origin and composition.
"At least eight spots can be seen next to the largest bright area, which scientists think is approximately 6 miles (9 km) wide," NASA officials wrote in a statement today (June 22). "A highly reflective material is responsible for these spots — ice and salt are leading possibilities, but scientists are considering other options, too." [More Photos of the Dwarf Planet Ceres]
Dawn captured the photo on June 9 from a distance of 2,700 miles (4,400 km) — the altitude of its second mapping orbit of Ceres. Additional newly released photos taken from this orbit show other intriguing features, including a steep-sided mountain that rises about 3 miles (5 km) into space from the dwarf planet's heavily cratered surface, NASA officials said.
"The surface of Ceres has revealed many interesting and unique features. For example, icy moons in the outer solar system have craters with central pits, but on Ceres central pits in large craters are much more common," Dawn deputy principal investigator Carol Raymond, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in the same statement.
"These and other features will allow us to understand the inner structure of Ceres that we cannot sense directly," she added.
(http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/entityid/AAbZPpQ.img?h=626&w=728&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f)
© Provided by Business Insider Ceres gif
The $473 million Dawn mission launched in September 2007 to investigate Ceres and Vesta — at 590 miles (950 km) and 330 miles (530 km) wide, respectively, the two largest objects in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Both Ceres and Vesta are thought to be largely intact protoplanets left over from the solar system's early days (hence the mission's name). Studying them should therefore reveal key details about how rocky planets such as Earth and Mars were put together, NASA officials have said.
Dawn orbited Vesta from July 2011 through September 2012. The probe arrived at Ceres this past March, in the process becoming the first spacecraft ever to orbit a dwarf planet, as well as the first to circle two objects beyond the Earth-moon system.
Dawn will remain in its current orbit until June 30, when it will begin spiraling down to an orbit with an altitude of about 900 miles (1,450 km), NASA officials said. It will get there in early August. (Dawn employs extremely efficient but low-thrust ion engines, so it can take a while for the probe to get around.)
But Dawn will get eventually get even closer to Ceres. Before ending its mission in June 2016, the spacecraft will eye Ceres from an altitude of just 230 miles (375 km).
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/nasa-may-have-finally-figured-out-what-these-weird-white-spots-are/ar-AAbZUrG
Armap;
I have a question concerning round pixels..In my cameras, all the ccd's
are measured by length and width, and as diagonal.Such as 1/2 or 1/3.
All my ccd's have the pixel size listed.My astro cam pixels are 2.2um x 2.2um.
When enlarged my images show pixialation as squares . How do you get
round pixels? I am not disagreeing with you .I just do not know.
rubicon
Quote from: space otter on June 25, 2015, 03:02:08 PM
NASA may have finally figured out what these weird, white spots are
"A highly reflective material is responsible for these spots — ice and salt are leading possibilities, but scientists are considering other options, too."BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
ArMaP says: "round pixels"
08rubicon says "My camera has square pixels"
Zorgon says.... Can't wait to see the answer :P
TV's have round dots... digital cameras as far as I know have square pixels. My monitor has sqaure pixels... most pixel artifacts I have seen are square or rectangual... now we see spheres and we suddenly have "round pixels" ?
:o
This should be good :P
Quote from: Pimander on June 25, 2015, 01:31:03 PM
Can we calculate and show how that would look to the naked eye based on information available about the camera sensitivity?
I can't, as the images published do not have the usual camera metadata that shows things like the exposure time.
Quote from: 08rubicon on June 25, 2015, 04:31:20 PM
Armap;
I have a question concerning round pixels.
Not round pixels, what I meant is that, when an image is resized and resampled (as most people do), the square pixels or groups of pixels are turned into circles by the resampling algorithm to create a smoother look, so a square pixel or group of pixels becomes round.
Those 'spheres' are not pixel artifacts because you can see them in the original :P
Quote from: zorgon on June 25, 2015, 06:35:38 PM
ArMaP says: "round pixels"
No.
QuoteTV's have round dots...
No, below you can see the pixels from my old style (CRT) TV in a photo I just took.
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/Sam_0646_1.jpg)
Quotedigital cameras as far as I know have square pixels. My monitor has sqaure pixels... most pixel artifacts I have seen are square or rectangual... now we see spheres and we suddenly have "round pixels" ?
:o
This should be good :P
Maybe, if this time you learn something about photography. :P
Quote from: zorgon on June 26, 2015, 12:08:05 AM
Those 'spheres' are not pixel artifacts because you can see them in the original :P
First of all, how can you see "spheres" on a 2D image? ???
Second, this is what the original looks like when resized without resampling, so it shows the real shape of the pixels and not the result of what the resampling algorithm "thinks" things should look like.
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/Ceres_3.png)
I hope i'm not repeating another post but had to laugh at the headline for this one
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/ceres-bright-spots_n_7637658.html?utm_hp_ref=science
NASA Observes 3-Mile-High 'Pyramid' On Ceres, But Bright Spots Remain A Mystery
The Huffington Post | By Ryan Grenoble
Posted: 06/22/2015 1:49 pm EDT Updated: 06/22/2015 9:59 pm EDT
Twinkle, twinkle little star dwarf planet, how scientists wonder what you are.
The mysteries of Ceres, the largest object in our solar system's asteroid belt, continue to deepen. For over a decade, scientists have been puzzled by a cluster of inexplicable bright white spots on the dwarf planet's surface. The clearest photo yet taken of the spots does little to shed light, so to speak, on the matter.
same pic that is everywhere
The photo, snapped by NASA's Dawn Spacecraft on June 9 from an altitude of 2,700 miles, reveals a grouping of highly reflective spots -- the biggest one is six miles across -- nestled in a large crater on Ceres' surface.
Per a release from NASA, Dawn uses a suite of instruments to analyze the light reflected off Ceres, thereby helping scientists identify the minerals on the dwarf planet's surface. At this point, the bright spots are thought to be ice or salt, though there are other possibilities, too, including geysers or volcanoes of some sort.
Dawn also snapped a photo of a mountain, three miles high and shaped like a pyramid, that protrudes from an otherwise smooth area of Ceres' surface. We've circled the mountain in yellow below:
(http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3103028/thumbs/s-CERES-PYRAMID-MOUNTAIN-large640.jpg)
The spacecraft is scheduled to move much closer to Ceres on June 30, descending from its current altitude of 2,700 miles to just 900 miles above the surface of the dwarf planet. It will reach its new, lower orbit in early August, at which point we should expect still clearer photos of the astronomical anomaly. For now, though, the mystery persists.
I still say space diamonds
Quote from: ArMaP on June 25, 2015, 11:56:15 PM
I can't, as the images published do not have the usual camera metadata that shows things like the exposure time.
There is no metadata on the raw NASA released images?
Quote from: Pimander on June 26, 2015, 03:10:03 PM
There is no metadata on the raw NASA released images?
No, at least not on the photos published here (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/Dawn?subselect=Target:Ceres:).
The mountain:(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36201)
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19578 (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19578)
The "Pacman" crater:(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36266)
All the credits goes to
ZLD from http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=8037&st=105 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=8037&st=105) forum regarding the very interisting images you see below:
The "Pit/wall":QuoteHere's a morph between SO13 and SO14 of the strange cliff sided crater.
(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36233)
(http://i.imgur.com/wW0fJ5r.gif)
And:
More craters with the "light colourish material":
(http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36232)
QuoteHere's another morph. SO5 -> SO14, large sputtered crater.
(http://i.imgur.com/eEvulOS.gif)
Source: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=8037&st=105 (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=8037&st=105)
Ceres PIA19579 _568 anaglyph:(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/312/18886724560_87fdce24cc_b.jpg)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/18886724560/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/18886724560/)
References:
https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/pia19574/dawn-survey-orbit-image-6
https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/pia19579/dawn-survey-orbit-image-11
https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/pia19578/dawn-survey-orbit-image-10
https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/pia19577/dawn-survey-orbit-image-9
From NASA JPL directly...
Listen to their wording :D There may be hope for NASA yet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inc9BtRip04
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=Inc9BtRip04
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DrSwjtZnTNU/VcepmPMX9EI/AAAAAAAAc4I/dxRZwzaRWxs/s1600/CERES%2B-%2BMysterious%2BBright%2BSpots%2Band%2Ba%2BPyramid-Shaped%2BMountain%2B.png)
the more I see these pictures of Ceres spots the more it seems like there's structures there, ive dropped the contrast right down on some of the pictures, like there's connecting parts to the brightest areas .. haven't they super zoomed in yet ? I would have thought they would have taken some pictures at higher speeds/ or lower ISO's to see if any fine detail can be made out in them.
or are they enjoying the tantalizing lengthy aversion :D
funbox
The top looks so interesting, they say it is flat. Why does the bottom of the mountain look so odd like see through or missing?
QuoteThe mountain, located in the southern hemisphere, stands 4 miles (6 kilometers) high. Its perimeter is sharply defined, with almost no accumulated debris at the base of the brightly streaked slope. The image was taken on August 19,
http://www.universetoday.com/122052/ceres-pyramid-gets-a-closer-look-but-bright-spots-remain-a-mystery/
(http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q621/dyna145/volcano_zpsnarqrb9t.jpg)
This changed many ideas I had read on the bright spots.
(http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q621/dyna145/PIA19606-Ceres-Dawn-GlobalMap-OccatorCrater-BrightSpot5-20150728_zpsmwlhcoxx.jpg)
Bright "Spot 5" in Occator crater
Elevations: red=high; green=low
Quote from: Dyna on August 27, 2015, 10:53:38 PM
Why does the bottom of the mountain look so odd like see through or missing?
What you do mean by that? ???
Quote from: ArMaP on August 27, 2015, 10:57:04 PM
What you do mean by that? ???
Near the center at the very bottom, the outline of the mountain seems to contain craters and such not like the other sides? Is this an illusion from the angle? Is the angle perhaps just much steeper on that side?
Quote from: Dyna on August 27, 2015, 11:05:12 PM
Is the angle perhaps just much steeper on that side?
I understand it now, thanks. :)
I think it's because we don't see the area in 3D, as probably that part is higher than the rest and the side of the mountain much lower than the rest in relation to the surrounding area.
New released Nasa Pic. Ceres' Occator crater, with a resolution of 450 feet (140 meters) per pixel.
(http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia19889.jpg)
I can't see the image, so, in case more people can't, here's (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA19889) a link to a NASA page about that image. :)
The center white certainly looks like either an impact debris explosion, or even a volcano-like explosion, but the spots to the upper left are interesting.
We should get the updated pictures of Ceres soon I am so looking forward to it!
Quote from: WarToad on September 09, 2015, 09:43:24 PM
The center white certainly looks like either an impact debris explosion, or even a volcano-like explosion, but the spots to the upper left are interesting.
So is the spacecraft still there or have they been holding out on these closeups?
Looks a lot like rectangular structures with disturbed soil like a MINE :P
The verdict is in — mostly. The bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres are probably made of salt, NASA's Dawn spacecraft has found.
Mysterious bright spots on Ceres are probably salt
Ice also transforms to water vapour in the dwarf planet's craters, creating an enigmatic haze
http://www.nature.com/news/mysterious-bright-spots-on-ceres-are-probably-salt-1.18980
Sorry but I don't believe them.
Dawn is currently spiralling down to its final mapping orbit, which it will reach on or before 18 December. From there it will study Ceres from a distance of about 385 kilometres until the mission runs out of money to operate the spacecraft or it can no longer point itself in the right direction.
Quote from: Dyna on December 11, 2015, 06:11:37 PM
Sorry but I don't believe them.
Why? Do you have a better theory? :)
Quote from: ArMaP on December 11, 2015, 08:40:32 PM
Why? Do you have a better theory? :)
yes it is a mining camp, the mountain in fact may be mined minerals fro transport.
In the 70's they determined Ceres had magnesium clays and yet it took this long at this distance to know salt when they see it. They went into orbit what March.This same are had a plume that was seem long ago.
But i am of a mind that some of the small moons are artificial so I know what you will be thinking on my views Lol :-*
Quote from: Dyna on December 12, 2015, 09:33:18 PM
yes it is a mining camp, the mountain in fact may be mined minerals fro transport.
In the 70's they determined Ceres had magnesium clays and yet it took this long at this distance to know salt when they see it. They went into orbit what March.This same are had a plume that was seem long ago.
But i am of a mind that some of the small moons are artificial so I know what you will be thinking on my views Lol :-*
What we are seeing on Ceres very well could be sloppiness at a radioactive waste dump site - simply fly-over and drop it!! 8)
Quote from: rdunk on December 13, 2015, 06:36:55 AM
What we are seeing on Ceres very well could be sloppiness at a radioactive waste dump site - simply fly-over and drop it!! 8)
Interesting thought, I like it!! :)
I assume these are the last pictures.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/index.php?search=Dawn
(http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/images/largesize/PIA20132_hires.jpg)
The South pole looks interesting
(http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/images/largesize/PIA20126_hires.jpg)
(http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/images/largesize/PIA20136_hires.jpg)
Quote from: Dyna on December 23, 2015, 07:28:37 PM
I assume these are the last pictures.
is that some kind of entrance ?
(http://i.imgur.com/vhYO39J.png)
funbox
Door yes big one :)
I have seen no ever comment on the black triangle which is in most of the Ceres pictures. What do you make of it? you have noted it i am sure! :) Also what is the black thing in the crater at the bottom of the lighted area just below the C shaped area?
Quote from: Dyna on December 24, 2015, 08:41:10 PM
Door yes big one :)
I have seen no ever comment on the black triangle which is in most of the Ceres pictures. What do you make of it? you have noted it i am sure! :) Also what is the black thing in the crater at the bottom of the lighted area just below the C shaped area?
Black Triangle ? ive not seen it or its blurred away in memory.. I did notice one of the pictures had been dressed up to show material variation but I reckon its more to do with advertising the latest starwars movie
(http://i.imgur.com/tnmqCna.jpg)
merry Christmas Matey , and to one and all here at Pegasus :)
funbox
http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1609/
Unexpected Changes of Bright Spots on Ceres Discovered
QuoteObservations made using the HARPS spectrograph at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile have revealed unexpected changes in the bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres. Although Ceres appears as little more than a point of light from the Earth, very careful study of its light shows not only the changes expected as Ceres rotates, but also that the spots brighten during the day and also show other variations.
QuoteCeres spins every nine hours and calculations showed that the effects due to the motion of the spots towards and away from the Earth caused by this rotation would be very small, of order 20 kilometres per hour. But this motion is big enough to be measurable via the Doppler effect with high-precision instruments such as HARPS.
The team observed Ceres with HARPS for a little over two nights in July and August 2015. "The result was a surprise," adds Antonino Lanza, at the INAF–Catania Astrophysical Observatory and co-author of the study. "We did find the expected changes to the spectrum from the rotation of Ceres, but with considerable other variations from night to night."
QuoteThe team concluded that the observed changes could be due to the presence of volatile substances that evaporate under the action of solar radiation [2]. When the spots inside the Occator crater are on the side illuminated by the Sun they form plumes that reflect sunlight very effectively. These plumes then evaporate quickly, lose reflectivity and produce the observed changes. This effect, however, changes from night to night, giving rise to additional random patterns, on both short and longer timescales.
NASA says: Odd bright spots on Ceres
NASA shows pictures: Bright spots look like structures :P
NASA says: Oh no just piles of salt :P
NASA = Need Another Space Agency
Quote from: zorgon on March 17, 2016, 07:38:23 PM
NASA says: Odd bright spots on Ceres
NASA shows pictures: Bright spots look like structures :P
NASA says: Oh no just piles of salt :P
NASA = Need Another Space Agency
im sure there's more fun to be had with their pantomime still :D
maybe when the European fart sniffer, methane detector arrives at Mars .. shed some light on the little methane mystery they've created
funbox
new pictures closer.
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia20355.jpg
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/figures/PIA20350_fig1.jpg
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA20350.jpg
http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=24&month=03&year=2016
(http://s20.postimg.org/je8omxht9/Ceres_20162.jpg)
Inverted color
(http://s20.postimg.org/viny3wup9/Ceres_2016.jpg)
The NASA picture is really big but so dark!
i think they spray their whole operation with insulating foam. ???
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia20355.jpg
Quote from: Dyna on March 24, 2016, 06:43:04 PM
new pictures closer.
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia20355.jpg
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/figures/PIA20350_fig1.jpg
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA20350.jpg
http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=24&month=03&year=2016
(http://s20.postimg.org/je8omxht9/Ceres_20162.jpg)
Inverted color
(http://s20.postimg.org/viny3wup9/Ceres_2016.jpg)
It looks to me as if someone has been working the inner surface of the crater in the top shot.
So, if we remember the natural "nuclear reactor" in Oklo Gabon from a few years back, could it be a radioactive deposit, which is being used by craft to fuel up along their way through our solar system?
Seems to me it would be a convenient fueling spot, easily accessed by advanced technology above ours, and a radioactive deposit of some sort of element, one which we either are familiar with or not, could explain the brightness as it decays into open space.
I also have thought of the desert glass in Libya, and how specific elemental contents of an impacting body, could create mirror like finishes through high impact force, and extreme heat. It could be like a dichroic coating or mirror where the temperatures allowed for certain transmutation of impact body elements into reflective surfaces.
At any rate, the linear features in the crater above show me either someone has been there, mining, or I am just not familiar with such features on a celestial body as a novice in these areas...can anyone think of how those scrape features got there without external help, such as the stones which move across the lake here on Earth?
I cant....
Cheers!
Quote from: Littleenki on March 25, 2016, 03:45:07 PM
It looks to me as if someone has been working the inner surface of the crater in the top shot.
So, if we remember the natural "nuclear reactor" in Oklo Gabon from a few years back, could it be a radioactive deposit, which is being used by craft to fuel up along their way through our solar system?
Seems to me it would be a convenient fueling spot, easily accessed by advanced technology above ours, and a radioactive deposit of some sort of element, one which we either are familiar with or not, could explain the brightness as it decays into open space.
I also have thought of the desert glass in Libya, and how specific elemental contents of an impacting body, could create mirror like finishes through high impact force, and extreme heat. It could be like a dichroic coating or mirror where the temperatures allowed for certain transmutation of impact body elements into reflective surfaces.
At any rate, the linear features in the crater above show me either someone has been there, mining, or I am just not familiar with such features on a celestial body as a novice in these areas...can anyone think of how those scrape features got there without external help, such as the stones which move across the lake here on Earth?
I cant....
Cheers!
This part has always been interesting to me also at different times when shadows change. it must be something unusual if they still can't ID it at the range they have examined it.
(http://s20.postimg.org/bvyq5s57x/side_cere.jpg)
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia20355.jpg
Dyna, that feature appears to be a walled structure long past destroyed(or so they want us to think) similar to the rings in South Africa or other pre holocene sites we see right here on Earth.
What caught my eye right off was the square feature in the top left..now thats like a observation tower of sorts perhaps? :O
like cattle kralls in Africa and other nations with ancient farming structures, could it have been either a containment site, or storage facility?
odd indeed..
Wow that new image sure looks like something did some work there :D I guess I need to update my pages today :D
I think the Cereans are preparing the crater for the next big Trump rally. :P
Wouldnt surface working with some exposed material creating either high reflectivity, or actual exposure of a luminous substance beneath the surface, be a feature of an advanced civilization's methodology for mining?
Since the imagery seems to change, could it be some sort of liquid thawing and freezing with each temperature shift, giving the impression of a changing surface? As well as providing smooth frozen surfaces to reflect light and make it seem as if there is something going on there?
Like water freezing and thawing in bulldozer tracks right here in our own midst?
Or maybe Ceres was some sort of player from archetypal human experiences in the past, once luminous and appearing as on fire to awestruck Earthlings....such as we read in various literary works by the likes of Velikovsky, or Allan and Delair...and now its covered with dust and debris from various encounters with larger, more positively charged bodies.
Uh oh, Ceres needs some dryer sheets, to rid itself of that pesky static cling.
Cheers!
This pic is the same area as the above pic posted by Littleenki. My pic is a little more magnified, and we can see some of the detail a little better.
My question................ what is all of this detail that we can see in this pic. To me, it does appear to be something other than just impacted surface areas.?? In this magnified pic, we can see definite multiple straight and curving 3-D tubular-looking features with various formations. One might think this was simple pixel magnification formations, but "are not", as the solid black areas in the photo have the same pixel mag, and they do not have these type features.
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia20355.jpg
Click on pic for better view!!
(http://s17.postimg.org/a6nqyruxb/Screen_Shot_2016_03_30_at_9_22_10_PM.jpg)
Quote from: rdunk on March 31, 2016, 03:44:33 AM
To me, it does appear to be something other than just impacted surface areas.??
It doesn't look like the result of impact(s).
QuoteIn this magnified pic, we can see definite multiple straight and curving 3-D tubular-looking features with various formations.
"Tubular-looking" features? Do you mean those vein-like things (or at least that's what they look to me)?
It just looks to me like what we Wouldnt expct to find in a crater on a distant moon, features which suggest some sort of pattern, or intent.
I wouldnt be surprised at all if someday we find technology or remnants of such there.
That square feature....it is still catching my eye..like a guard tower, or overlook of some sort.
Odd indeed
Quote from: Littleenki on April 01, 2016, 12:48:06 AM
That square feature....it is still catching my eye..like a guard tower, or overlook of some sort.
That's the part I find the most interesting, not only because it looks different from the surroundings but also because it reminds me of another cubic shapes from Mars and another celestial body I can't remember (maybe zorgon remembers that "tower").
Quote from: ArMaP on April 01, 2016, 01:38:44 AM
That's the part I find the most interesting, not only because it looks different from the surroundings but also because it reminds me of another cubic shapes from Mars and another celestial body I can't remember (maybe zorgon remembers that "tower").
So we have to puzzle..why does it glow when hit by ambient light?
My money is on some sort of vitrified glass, or maybe even something like mercury.
The coolest part here is we all are hoping to find that indicator that we arent alone, lets just hope it isnt our own planet-men, who are working covertly, that takes the fun right out of wondering I guess.
Does anyone remember any reference to Ceres in Velikovskys work? Im going to take another look...
Cheers!
ArMaP - ""Tubular-looking" features? Do you mean those vein-like things (or at least that's what they look to me)?
Yes, vein-like things, with bumps, could be another description of what we see there. Of course, this pic is some distance away from the main body-mass of light on the surface, which most are looking at! We really can see the surface features better in looking at the full link pic!
Quote from: rdunk on April 01, 2016, 06:21:47 AM
ArMaP - ""Tubular-looking" features? Do you mean those vein-like things (or at least that's what they look to me)?
Yes, vein-like things, with bumps, could be another description of what we see there. Of course, this pic is some distance away from the main body-mass of light on the surface, which most are looking at! We really can see the surface features better in looking at the full link pic!
maybe someone like Bigelow ,many many years ago, made some nice bungalows :D
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35935562
funbox
Quote from: ArMaP on April 01, 2016, 01:38:44 AM
...(maybe zorgon remembers that "tower").
I'm sure he remembers, he posted it on the first page of this thread. :)
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/04images/Eros/000504eros.jpg)
Quote from: Littleenki on April 01, 2016, 03:31:35 AM
My money is on some sort of vitrified glass, or maybe even something like mercury.
I think those would have a more reflective look, we are looking at a dark object, so the brighter areas are not really that bright.
QuoteThe coolest part here is we all are hoping to find that indicator that we arent alone, lets just hope it isnt our own planet-men, who are working covertly, that takes the fun right out of wondering I guess.
I'm not hoping for that, but I would love to see proof of that. :)
Quote from: ArMaP on April 01, 2016, 09:49:29 PM
I'm sure he remembers, he posted it on the first page of this thread. :)
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/04images/Eros/000504eros.jpg)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk522u4b4gQ
FYI
Dawn Mission: Ceres/Vesta
http://www.dlr.de/pf/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-7622/ (http://www.dlr.de/pf/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-7622/)