NASA release closest-yet views of Ceres

PASADENA, Calif., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- NASA's Dawn probe has assumed a new orbital altitude, enabling the craft to capture the closest images yet of Ceres' surface.

On Tuesday, NASA shared the most detailed images of the dwarf planet to date. The images reveal Ceres' cragged surface, scarred by narrow, braided fissures as well as wide cylindrical depressions.

Also imaged is the planet's tall, conical mountain. The peak resembles a birthday hat with a flattened top, like a cross between a mountain and a plateau.

"Dawn is performing flawlessly in this new orbit as it conducts its ambitious exploration. The spacecraft's view is now three times as sharp as in its previous mapping orbit, revealing exciting new details of this intriguing dwarf planet," Marc Rayman, Dawn's chief engineer and mission director, said in a press release.

The closeups are part of Ceres' diligence in mapping the entirety of the dwarf planet's surface. The probe completes a survey of the planet's surface every 11 days -- a total of 14 orbital laps at an altitude of 915 miles.

Each image represents roughly one percent of Ceres' surface area, boasting a resolution of 450 feet per pixel.

Dawn will remain at its current orbital position for the next two months, mapping the entirety of Ceres six times. While imaging the surface, the craft's visible and infrared mapping spectrometer is analyzing the chemical makeup -- helping researchers back on Earth better understand Ceres' mineral composition.