NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is asking for your guess
about the bright spots spotted on Ceres.
JPL asks:
Can you guess what's creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? On March 6, NASA's Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike. Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it's anyone's guess what those spots could be. So, go ahead! Cast your vote...
The possible options are (1) volcano, (2) geyser, (3) rock,
(4) ice, (5) salt deposit, and (6) other. You can see a better image below,
taken on May 16th by the Dawn spacecraft.
I believe the most likely source of the light is reflection on ice, but
you never know. When I voted (no
peaking), about 30 percent voted for ice, but 38 percent voted for
"other." I would like to know
what some of those "other" scenarios might be, but we may not know
for some time (or ever). The mystery
continues.
