The first satellite to ever orbit a dwarf planet recently circled Ceres, a planet 310 million miles from Earth. Ceres, discovered in 1801 (30 years before Pluto was discovered), was the first object that scientists were able to identify in the asteroid belt between mars and jupiter. Photographs taken by the satellite have revealed many of what scientists call "exciting" new features such as possible water vapor emission. This friday, the satellite, Dawn, will be the closest it has ever been to Ceres (approximately 25,000 miles) in order to investigate more of its unique features.
This mission, headed by NASA, relates to the early investigations of space beginning in the mid-twentieth centuries. These programs have continued to expand our knowledge of outer space and have augmented the realms of human understanding.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/us/dawn-spacecraft-ceres/index.html
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