NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is carrying out a mapping of the dwarf planet Ceres and with its camera is capturing extraordinary images better than those available so far, with a resolution of 140 meters (450 feet) per pixel. Among the geological features photographed there’s a mountain about 6 kilometers (4 miles) high that had already intrigued scientists and public because it looks like a pyramid and its sides are covered with brilliant material.

In this period, the Dawn space probe has an altitude of about 1,470 km (915 miles) and is doing a cycle of 14 orbits within 11 days. In this way, it’s expected to complete the mapping of the entire surface of the dwarf planet Ceres 6 times over the next two months. In addition to the camera, whose images will allow to build a 3D modeling of Ceres, it uses a spectrometer to allow scientists to better understand the minerals on the surface.

In its current orbit, the Dawn space probe can take photographs three times sharper than its previous mapping orbit. This is allowing to reveal new details of the surface and better examin some of its most interesting geological features. Among them there’s the “pyramid” discovered some time ago.

This mountain found in the southern hemisphere of Ceres is about 6 kilometers high. It’s been defined by NASA the lonely mountain because it’s not part of any visible mountain range. Being isolated, it stands out even more in the region but that’s not its only special feature.

It’s an exceptional mountain not only because it would be high on the Earth as well but also for its other characteristics. Its perimeter is well defined and the image shows very few debris accumulated on its slopes. Its sides are covered with brilliant material and this may suggest a connection with the greater mystery of Ceres, the white spots.

The bright material might be the same for the mountains and the white spots but for the moment there are only hypotheses about its nature. This may be water ice but also some kind of salt. For example hexahydrite, also known as hydrous magnesium sulfate, was detected on the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. The investigation continues.

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