Occator Crater and Ceres’ Brightest Spots
March 22, 2016
| Credit | NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI |
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| PIA Number | PIA20350 |
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Click on the image for larger view
Occator Crater, measuring 57 miles (92 kilometers) across and 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep, contains the brightest area on Ceres. This region has been the subject of intense interest since Dawn’s approach to the dwarf planet in early 2015.
Dawn’s close-up view reveals a dome in a smooth-walled pit in the bright center of the crater. Numerous linear features and fractures crisscross the top and flanks of this dome. Prominent fractures also surround the dome and run through smaller, bright regions found within the crater.