Image of the Day: September 2011
Mountains and bright and dark material on Vesta (Sept. 29, 2011): This detail of a Dawn FC (framing camera) image shows dark colored mountains (top of the image) in the northern region of Vesta. The origin of such mountains is currently being investigated. The largest crater, near the center of the image, contains both bright and dark material. This material, also visible in many of the other craters, mostly crops out from the crater rims and then slumps towards the crater’s centers. The bottom part of the image includes many areas of dark material, several of which are not associated with any impact structures visible at this resolution. Better resolution images are necessary to understand the origin of this ‘unassociated’ dark material. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Mountains Rising Over Vesta’s Equatorial Region (Sept. 28, 2011): NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of Vesta with its framing camera on Aug. 26, 2011. This image was taken through the camera's clear filter at a distance of 1,700 miles (2,740 kilometers). The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
3-D Image of Grooves and Wrinkles in the South Polar Region (Sept. 27, 2011): NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this 3-D image of Vesta with its framing camera on Aug. 23 and 28, 2011. This image of the south polar region was taken through the camera's clear filter at a distance of 1,700 miles (2,740 kilometers). The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Use red-cyan (red-blue, or red-green) glasses for a 3-D view of the image. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Closing in on the Wrinkles and Grooves at Vesta’s South Pole (Sept. 26, 2011): NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained these images of Vesta with its framing camera on Aug. 28 (left) and Sept. 9, 2011. These images of the south polar region were taken through the camera's clear filter at a distance of 1,700 miles (2,740 kilometers). The images have a resolution of about 260 and 130 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Groovy Terrain at Vesta’s South Pole (Sept. 25, 2011): NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of Vesta with its framing camera on Sept. 09, 2011. This image of the south polar region was taken through the camera's clear filter at a distance of 864 miles (1,390 kilometers).. The image has a resolution of about 130 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA /JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Wrinkled Terrain at Vesta’s South Pole (Sept. 24, 2011): NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of Vesta with its framing camera on Aug. 28, 2011. This image of the south polar region was taken through the camera's clear filter at a distance of 1,700 miles (2,740 kilometers). The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA / MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Dense Region of Impact Craters (Sept. 23, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of the giant asteroid Vesta with its framing camera on Aug. 14 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Full-Frame View of Vesta (Sept. 22, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on July 24, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 485 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Young and Old Crater at the Night and Day Boundary on Vesta (Sept. 21, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 11, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Night and Day Boundary on Vesta (Sept. 20, 2011): This detail of NASA’s Dawn spacecraft’s framing camera image shows low sun angles and large shadows on Vesta. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 20, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
An Impact Structure Resembling a Snowman (Sept. 19, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 20, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Troughs Covered by Impacts (Sept. 18, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 20, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Impacts and Grooves on Vesta (Sept. 17, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 26, 2011. The detail in this image shows impacts of all sizes, grooves, scarps and smooth areas. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Landslides on Vesta (Sept. 16, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of the giant asteroid Vesta with its framing camera on Aug. 26, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The detail in this image shows a steep scarp with landslides and vertical craters in the scarp wall. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Different Surface Ages on Vesta (Sept. 15, 2011): The Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 23, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Craters and Grooves in the South Polar Region (Sept. 14, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Sept. 3, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 220 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Steep Slope on Vesta (Sept. 13, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 26, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UCLA/ MPS/ DLR/ IDA
Anaglyph of Craters in the South Polar Region (Sept. 12, 2011): This 3-D image shows the topography craters and grooves of Vesta’s south polar region obtained by the framing camera instrument aboard NASA’s Dawn spacecraft on Aug. 23 and 28, 2011. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Use red-green (or red-blue) glasses to view in 3-D (left eye: red; right eye: green [or blue]). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Craters, Scarps, Troughs, Grooves and Plains on Vesta (Sept. 11, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 26, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Visible and Infrared Data Mosaic (Sept. 10, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained these images with its visible and infrared instrument on July 23, 2011. The two images represent the same zone of the giant asteroid Vesta with an image resolution of 1.3 kilometers per pixel. The top image is a simulated true-color picture of the asteroid’s surface to show what it would like to the human eye. The image was produced by assigning visible-light colors (blue, green and red) to three visible and infrared channels (440, 550 and 700 nanometers). In the bottom image, visible and infrared channels have again been assigned visible-light colors. But in this case, the colors were chosen to enhance the differences in the composition of the asteroid surface and, therefore, in the geologic processes that must have created them. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/ASI/INAF/IASF/IFSI
Worm-like Markings on Vesta’s Surface (Sept. 9, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Aug. 29, 2011. This image, taken through the framing camera’s clear filter, shows dark material at impact craters, up to 12.5 miles-wide (20 kilometer-wide) and sets of worm-like tracks in the north-south direction. The image has a resolution of 254 meters per pixel. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Unusual Hill on Vesta (Sept. 8, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 18, 2011. This image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. © NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Dark Material on Hilltops (Sept. 7, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 18, 2011. This image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Dark Patches and Stripes on Crater Walls (Sept. 6, 2011):NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 18, 2011. This image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Craters with Bright Features (Sept. 5, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 18, 2011. This image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
The Various Craters on Vesta (Sept. 4, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 19, 2011. This image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
A Dark Band on Vesta (Sept. 3, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on August 19, 2011. This image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Side by Side Views of a Dark Hill (Sept. 2, 2011): NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained these images with its framing camera on Aug. 19, 2011. Both images were taken through the framing camera’s clear filter aboard the spacecraft. The images have a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Complex Structures in Vesta’s South Polar Region (Sept. 1, 2011): NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of Vesta’s south polar region with its framing camera on August 12, 2011. The image was taken through the framing camera’s clear filter. The image has a resolution of about 260 meters per pixel. credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Science
The targets of the Dawn mission could not be more different: While Vesta once had a hot, molten interior that produced lava flows, Ceres has always been a cold body, under whose surface possibly frozen water can be found. In addition, both bodies allow for a look back into an early phase of our solar system. Both asteroids are among the largest survivors from this early phase of planet formation. more...
Mission
Dawn is a NASA mission managed by the Jet Propulaion Laboratory (JPL) that will reach the asteroids Vesta and Ceres within the next years. The space probe will encounter its first destination, the asteroid Vesta, in the summer of 2011. Presumably at the end of July, Dawn will start orbiting Vesta and deliver its first high-resolution images of the surface. more...
Cameras
The mission's success crucially depends on the two cameras, Dawn's eyes. The cameras were developed and built under the leadership of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research with significant contributions by the Institute for Planetary Research of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and in coordination with the Institute of Computer and Communication Network Engineering of the Technical University Braunschweig. more...