On Monday, NASA gave us our first close look at the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the Asteroid Belt between Jupiter and Mars. The detailed animated flyover was compiled from 80 images taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft; some of the photos were snapped 8,400 miles above Ceres' surface and the rest from 3,200 feet. Dawn began its second mapping orbit around Ceres on June 3.
"The Dawn team is investigating what the landforms imply about the presence and nature of any water reservoirs in Ceres," UCLA's Christopher Russell, chief investigator for the Dawn mission, tells National Geographic. "I can't take my eyes off those bright spots. They really make Ceres special and add to the mystery at this point rather than settle any debate." The leading theory about the twin bright spots is that they are reflective ice pools mirroring the sun. You can watch the 3-D animated journey over Ceres below, narrated by Reuters. Peter Weber
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