article_snippet.sent: The Dawn spacecraft has captured amazing new images of the mystery bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres, which continue to baffle scientists.
article_snippet.sent: Nasa scientists in California California have revealed new images of dwarf planet Ceres.
article_snippet.sent: new images of the dwarf planet Ceres were taken on 14 and 15 April from a distance of 14,000 miles (22,000km) from the north pole of Ceres.
article_snippet.sent: Several theories are currently being touted for what these mysterious bright white spots are on Ceres.
article_snippet.sent: Ceres is thought to have plenty of ice beneath Ceres surface, which could be exposed when a asteroid or comet strikes the surface.
article_snippet.sent: There is high interest in the mission because Ceres is seen as being a record of the early solar system, and may also have shifting ice on the early solar system surface .
article_snippet.sent: Ceres is 590 miles (950 km) across and was discovered in 1801.
article_snippet.sent: Ceres is the closest dwarf planet to the sun and is located in the asteroid belt, making the closest dwarf planet to the sun the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system.
article_snippet.sent: Ceres is the smallest of the bodies currently classified as a 'dwarf planet'.
article_snippet.sent: Ceres lies less than three times as far as Earth from the sun - close enough to feel the warmth of the star, allowing ice to melt and reform.
article_snippet.sent: There is high interest in the mission because Ceres is seen as being a record of the early solar system, and may also have shifting ice on its surface.
article_snippet.sent: This is lower than the orbital height of the ISS around Earth – and will allow Dawn to snap glorious images of Ceres’ surface, including Ceres mysterious bright spots.
article_snippet.sent: These latest images (close up view of the bright spots in the crater on the right) were taken on 14 and 15 April from a distance of 14,000 miles (22,000km) from the north pole of Ceres .
article_snippet.sent: Both Vesta and Ceres are in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and were on their way to forming planets before their development was interrupted - likely by the gravity of Jupiter.
highlights_snippet.sent: Nasa scientists in California reveal new images of dwarf planet Ceres .
  