Posted on 02/27/2015 11:44:59 AM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Maybe ET left his headlights on.
Ceres is not hugh......................
Could be like an Alien Lighthouse, warning other space-faring races to STAY AWAY FROM THIS SYSTEM...................
Really?
Is there any other kind?
No, no, no, no, y’all got it all wrong. It is a type of lunar morse code. I have run it thru my light wave table after passing it thru my decoder ring and the message is.........”Obama sucks, beware”!!!!
That’s very close to Kurt Vonnegut’s Sirens of Titan. Either that’s it, or the author of your book was ripping him off.
swamp gas!
It looks like Uranus.
“Dun, Dun, Dun, - DUN DUN!...boom boom boom boom boom boom boom”
Call from a Distant Shore
http://www.fictiondb.com/author/stephen-l-burns~call-from-a-distant-shore~109695~b.htm
Then those must be hemorrhoids...............
But “Spock” is a good name for a moon
Call me a dummy, but it seems to me that sunlight reflects off many different things and surfaces.
But I’m just spit-ballin’ here....
Nah. It’s their Death Ray.
“Fire the Death Ray at the approaching probe”
“We keep firing but it doesn’t affect it”
“Curses. Deploy the rock that looks like a face to scare it away. “
Alien spacecraft......................
“It was too late — she’d already been incensed!”
:D
Hoss
Thus spake Zarathustra!
They’re diamonds the size of school buses!
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