/sci/ - Science & Math

>>7298121
The closest image released (and included in your post in thumbnail form) is 480 meters per pixel (~1600 feet), but it's just a handful of navigation images. The next mapping orbit (titled Survey in this image) will be ~1,400 feet per pixel. The preliminary scheduled dates in the attached image are no longer accurate.

>>7256492
>How long until Ceres gets closer?
Dawn is spiraling down as we speak.

https://twitter.com/NASA_Dawn/status/598238791015366657

>Continuing to spiral to lower altitudes. Today I will descend from ~7,800 miles (13,000 km) to ~7,200 miles (12,000 km) from #Ceres

So we all have some idea when and where this mission is going.

I'm just hoping that the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research will release at least some of the images from OpNav 7, which has 50% disk illumination and should feature the bright spots, this week.

Here's the observation schedule, in case anyone wants it.

The Dawn Blog has published a new update. There's a lot of fluff text in it, but there's also some important information for people who will inevitably wonder where the new pictures of the bright spots are.

http://dawnblog.jpl.nasa.gov/2015/03/31/dawn-journal-march-31-2/

As seen in the attached image, Rotation Characterization 3 will take several weeks, and will involve the capture of ~2,500 images.

Due to remaining uncertainty in the rotation period of Ceres and the amount of time since OpNav5, OpNav6 and OpNav7 might not see the bright spots. If worst comes to worst, we'll have pictures of the bright spots in May.