NASA's Dawn spacecraft provides 'best-ever view' of dwarf planet Ceres

(Image credit: Facebook.com/NASA)

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned what it's calling the "best-ever view" of Ceres, a dwarf planet. Ceres is the largest body between Mars and Jupiter, and it may have liquid water beneath its mantle.

The images were taken on Jan. 25 from 147,000 miles away, and they represent "a new milestone for a spacecraft that soon will become the first human-made probe to visit a dwarf planet," according to NASA. On March 6, Dawn will begin orbiting Ceres and will measure variations in the light it reflects.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.