Astronomy Picture of the Day -- An Unusual Mountain on Asteroid Ceres

NASA ^ | June 30, 2015 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: What created this large mountain on asteroid Ceres? No one is yet sure. As if in anticipation of today being Asteroid Day on Earth, the robotic spacecraft Dawn in orbit around Ceres took the best yet image of an unusually tall mountain on the Asteroid Belt's largest asteroid. Visible at the top of the featured image, the exceptional mountain rises about five kilometers up from an area that otherwise appears pretty level. The image was taken about two weeks ago from about 4,400 kilometers away. Although origin hypotheses for the mountain include volcanism, impacts, and plate tectonics, clear evidence backing any of these is currently lacking. Also visible across Ceres' surface are some enigmatic light areas: bright spots whose origin and composition that also remain an active topic of investigation. Even though Dawn is expected to continue to orbit Ceres, officially dubbed a dwarf planet, for millions of years, the hydrazine fuel used to point Dawn's communications antenna toward Earth is expected to run out sometime next year.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit and Copyright: NASA, JPL-Caltech, UCLA, MPS/DLR/IDA]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[Army Air Corps]

Has Hogland heard about this?

[SunkenCiv]

I checked the day the first pics came out and nothing at that time. It’s got to be difficult to invent something dissimilar to his previous screed.

[GeronL]

Probably just crashed through a smaller space boulder and got it embedded

[dr_lew]

You gotta love this. I do, anyway. Mystery!

[Moonman62]

Even though Dawn is expected to continue to orbit Ceres, officially dubbed a dwarf planet, for millions of years, the hydrazine fuel used to point Dawn’s communications antenna toward Earth is expected to run out sometime next year.

...

Dawn is a partially crippled spacecraft. The planning and strategy to keep the mission on track is remarkable.

[dr_lew]

I thought this represented the end of the mission planning. It can’t last forever!

[Moonman62]

No, it can’t last forever. But the systems normally used to point the spacecraft failed some time ago. They’ve had to carefully plan the use of hydrazine in order to have enough to complete the mission.

[Bullish]

That’s 6-flags Ceres.

[dr_lew]

Thank you. I vaguely remember some kind of information to that effect.

[Swordmaker]

Electric Universe Has the answer to what these mountains on Ceres are. . . They're the same as Olympus Mons on Mars, they're Lightning Blisters, the raisers bumps created where the electrons rush out of the ground in a lightning bolt. . . Or in this case, a cosmic thunderbolt. PING!

If you want on or off the Electric Universe Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

Olympus Mons and Lightning Blisters

[Smokin' Joe]

Considering the dimensions of Olympus Mons, if that isn’t volcanic, that is one huge zot.

[Swordmaker]

Considering the dimensions of Olympus Mons, if that isn’t volcanic, that is one huge zot.

It is one huge ZOT!

[left that other site]

It is a Hugh and Ceres hemorrhoid on the planetoid’s asteroid.

[BenLurkin]

Just a big frost heave aka “pingo”

[tumblindice]

"Ah cain't quit you John Carter."

[SunkenCiv]

Good idea.