Free Astronomy Magazine March-April 2016

MARCH-APRIL 2016 K upalo Crater, one of the youngest craters on Ceres. The crater has bright material expo- sed on its rim and walls, which could be salts. Its flat floor likely formed from impact melt and de- bris. Kupalo, which measu- res 16 miles (26 kilometers) across and is located at southern mid-latitudes, is named for the Slavic god of vegetation and harvest. Dawn took this image on Dec. 21, 2015 from its low- altitude mapping orbit (LAMO) at an approximate altitude of 240 miles (385 kilometers) above Ceres. The image resolution is 120 feet (35 meters) per pixel. A portion of the northern hemisphere of Ceres. Bright material can be seen in the wall of this large, unnamed crater at upper center. The image is centered at approxi- mately 15 degrees north latitude, 351 degrees east longitude. Dawn captured the scene on Dec. 21, 2015 from its low-altitude mapping orbit (LAMO), at an approximate altitude of 240 miles (385 kilometers) above Ceres. The image resolution is 120 feet (35 meters) per pixel. U nnamed crater in the southern hemi- sphere of Ceres with a prominent central peak. The image is centered at approxi- mately 63 degrees south latitude, 143 degrees east longitude. Dawn captured the scene on Dec. 24, 2015 from its low-altitude mapping orbit (LAMO), at an approximate altitude of 240 miles (385 kilometers) above Ceres. The image resolution is 120 feet (35 meters) per pixel. ▼ ▼ ▼ T he western rim of Oc- cator Crater. The out- side of the crater's sharp, fresh rim is covered by an ejecta layer with a low crater density. Inside and outside the crater are small fractures trending toward northwest. Several small, bright patches of material can be seen along the rim. The image is centered at ap- proximately 19.4 degrees north latitude, 238.8 degrees east longitude. Dawn captu- red the scene on Jan. 2, 2016, from its low-altitude mapping orbit (LAMO), at an altitude of 231 miles (371 ki- lometers) above Ceres. The image resolution is 112 feet (34 meters) per pixel. ▼