What is flashing us from mysterious dwarf planet? Riddle of Ceres' deepens .. ANOTHER flashing mark

www.dailymail.co.uk ^ | 02-27-2015 | By Ellie Zolfagharifard

[Red Badger]

Ceres continues to baffle astronomers as the Dawn spacecraft gets closer to being captured into orbit around the dwarf planet.

The latest images, taken nearly 29,000 miles (46,000km) from Ceres, reveal that a bright 'alien' spot that stands out in previous images lies close to yet another bright area.

While Nasa has not provided an explanation, scientists suggest these spots may be frozen pools of ice at the bottom of a crater that reflect light.

'Right now, all we can say is that the material reflects 40 per cent or more of the light falling on it,' UCLA astronomer Chris Russell, the principal investigator for the Dawn mission, told NBC News.

'This limit is because of the resolution of the camera at this distance from Ceres. If the final answer is that it reflects all the light that falls on it, then the most probable reflector would be ice.'

He added that there may be a volcano-like origin of the spots, but that Nasa will have to wait for better resolution before we can make such geologic interpretations.

Using its ion propulsion system, Dawn will enter orbit around Ceres on March 6.

When it does, it will become the first human-made probe to visit the 'Death Star' planet - and scientists hope it will uncover the secrets behind its mysterious white spot.

[Red Badger]

Ceres continues to baffle astronomers as the Dawn spacecraft gets closer to being captured into orbit around the dwarf planet. This image was taken by the Dawn spacecraft of dwarf planet Ceres on February 19 from a distance of nearly 29,000 miles (46,000 km). It shows that the brightest spot on Ceres has a dimmer companion, which apparently lies in the same basin

[Red Badger]

Space Ping!...................

[TBP]

Oh, good, a cosmic flasher.

[a fool in paradise]

The ATF?

[a fool in paradise]

Oh, good, a cosmic flasher

"Don't look, Ethyl!" But it was too late, she's already been Mooned!

[Bob]

I’m sorry - I must have forgotten to turn the lights off when I left.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Great...A dwarf flasher!

[Red Badger]

[McGruff]

scientists suggest these spots may be frozen pools of ice at the bottom of a crater that reflect light.

But in the picture posted the light is coming from the left. not direct on. Verrry interesting someone once said.

[Red Badger]

[The Cajun]

Considering it has other not so bright spots, probably just reflective ice that will eventually sublimate into space and dim like the rest.

An Occam's Razor thing.

[Army Air Corps]

It is a message and it reads, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.”

[Zuben Elgenubi]

It’s Leonard Nimoy flashing a laser at the space craft.

[McGruff]

Somebody had bad sushi?

[LibWhacker]

I think I do see some "flashing" or blinking. Image quality is so poor, I don't know if it's real or an artifact. But, whether it is actually flashing or not, it's got to be ice, imho.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I don’t want to say its aliens but its aliens. :-)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

“...and there he was...running through the pole beans, nekkid as a Jaybird!”

[RoosterRedux]

Considering the location of the sun given what part of the planet is lit up and assuming that ice would be somewhat level with the surface of the planet (which condition gravity and planet rotation should create), it seems unlikely that it would be reflection of sunlight.

I think it's aliens...or perhaps a weather balloon.

[djf]

I had seen the picture before, but nobody told me it was actively “flashing”...

[KarlInOhio]

They’re illuminating the mile and a half tall letters spelling out “Go stick your head in a pig.”