NASA's Dawn probe has taken some more stunning photos of the dwarf planet, revealing an inexplicably large pyramid-shaped mountain as well as offering closer looks at the mysterious bright spots that pepper its surface.
Dawn first entered Ceres' orbit in March of this year and the latest images were snapped as the probe took its second orbit at a height of 2,700 miles (4,400 km). By December the probe will have descended to just 225 miles (360 km) above the surface.
But even at its current distance, the images are revealing surprising new features of the dwarf planet. In one image a mountain — which NASA says would be about the size of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the alps — appears in an otherwise relatively flat landscape. Scientists have not yet offered an explanation for its formation.
Other images offer greater details of the bright spots that have been observed in various locations across Ceres' surface. So far, researchers have proposed that either ice or salt formations could explain these bright spots.
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