For the first time in the history of the spacecraft entered orbit around the dwarf planet: they turned out to be an American probe Dawn, come close to Ceres.
In the main asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, happened the first of two major events in interplanetary space missions that are planned for 2015. Dawn, spacecraft NASA, finally went into orbit, perhaps, the most mysterious representative belt – the dwarf planet Ceres.
The probe began his magical approach to Ceres in December 2014. The last weeks and days management NASA regularly fueled public interest in the mission, now and then publishing more and more clear pictures of the planet, which sent the spacecraft as it approaches toward its goal.
As the lovers of space around the world, and scientists began more intriguing unusually bright shiny point that became clearly visible on the surface of Ceres. Two of them, the brightest located in one and the same width of the crater 100 kilometers, are of most interest. According to scientists, it may be outcrops of ice or salt, which shines in reflected light.
«The team is really surprised by these points, because they are unique in the solar system. Their mystery will be solved, but now it’s true what makes fidget in their chairs, “- said Carol Raymond, the representative of the mission.
Among the objectives of the mission – to explore water emissions escaping from the surface of Ceres. This surprising phenomenon that has only four bodies of the solar system, was opened only last year . In addition, the probe will mapping the planet, studying its mineralogy and elemental composition.
Ceres was discovered by the Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801. At first, it was classified as another planet, later admitting asteroid. However, due to the fact that Ceres has a set of planetary properties not found in asteroids, the famous meeting of the International Astronomical Union in 2006, along with Ceres and Eris former planet Pluto received the status of dwarf planets.
Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, craters on its surface are named after gods and goddesses of fertility in ancient mythology.
Rendezvous Ceres was the culmination of a long and eventful mission Dawn, because it has already investigated other important sites zone – the asteroid Vesta – for 14 months in 2011-2012. The study of these two bodies should be the key to understanding the mechanisms of the formation of planets in the early solar system.
«And Vesta and Ceres were to be planets, but their formation was broken attraction of Jupiter – says Carol Raymond. – These two bodies are like the fossil record from the very beginning of the solar system, and they shed light on its origins. ”
Ceres and Vesta are very different from each other. Ceres – the most massive body belt with a diameter of 950 kilometers. Diameter of Vesta – only 525 kilometers, it is the second weight body belt.
This is completely dry before Ceres asteroid was formed, which, on the contrary, one quarter consists of water.
«studying Vesta and Ceres we can better understand the formation of the solar system, especially the terrestrial planets. These bodies – those pieces of building materials, of which once formed, Venus, Earth and Mars. It is believed that similar to Vesta objects involved in the formation of the core of our planet, and the like Ceres – were the source of water, “- says Raymond.
commit such a difficult journey probe Dawn was able due to the relatively revolutionary way to accelerate using ion engines.
«We could not go into orbit and explore these two worlds without using ion engines. Dawn was able to use this innovative technology to make the most money in small science “, – said Robert Mays, head of the mission.
These engines Dawn not only became the first spacecraft to orbit released dwarf planet, but also was the first probe goes into orbit two different celestial bodies beyond Earth.
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