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On July 7, 2007 NASA will launch its next explorer into the Solar System. This spacecraft’s destinations are the asteroids Ceres and Vesta, where it will help answer many unknowns about the formation and structure of these minor planets. As part of the mission, the Hubble Space Telescope captured high resolution images of the two objects, and the photos were released today.
Dawn will go into orbit around Vesta in 2011, spend a few years examining it, and then move on to Ceres. It will arrive at its second destination in 2015. This will make it the first spacecraft to ever orbit two different objects in the Solar System.
So there you go Dawn, take these pictures along, so you’ll recognize the asteroids when you see them.
Original Source: Hubble News Release
About Fraser Cain
Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast with Dr. Pamela Gay.
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