Ceres
NASA's Dawn spacecraft took these images of Ceres from around 52,000 miles away. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

NASA's Dawn spacecraft is heading toward Ceres at a speed of about 231 miles per hour. Since we last left Dawn on Feb. 5, the spacecraft was 90,000 miles away and in the latest images -- taken on Feb. 12 -- Dawn has traveled 38,000 miles closer to the dwarf planet. In the latest images, there are several bright spots that are baffling scientists.

Dawn will reach Ceres' orbit on March 6 and researchers are using these images to plot the trajectory of the spacecraft. Compared to the photos taken 12 days ago, more surface features are visible and there are a few more bright spots on Ceres. As Dawn gets closer to Ceres, astronomers will be able to get better images of the dwarf planet. Ceres measures 590 miles in diameter and is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

In addition to observing Ceres, Dawn explored Vesta in 2011 and 2012. While Ceres and Vesta are located in the main asteroid belt, the dwarf planet and asteroid are drastically different. Scientists will be able to gain new insights into the dwarf planet, including any possibility of a subsurface ocean, and comparisons between the two objects will lead to a better understanding of the formation of the solar system. "With the help of Dawn and other missions, we are continually adding to our understanding of how the solar system began and how the planets were formed," Chris Russell, principal investigator of the Dawn mission, said in a statement.

Dawn has three scientific instruments that will be used to observe Ceres. Framing cameras, the Visible & Infrared Spectrometer (VIR) to map Ceres' surface and the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) to create a map of the elements found on the dwarf planet's surface.

"As we slowly approach the stage, our eyes transfixed on Ceres and her planetary dance, we find she has beguiled us but left us none the wiser. We expected to be surprised; we did not expect to be this puzzled," Russell said.

Since the photos were taken on Feb. 12, Dawn is now 33,000 miles from Ceres.

Ceres Distance
Dawn's current distance from Ceres. NASA