NASA Probe Gets Closer Look at Odd Patches on Dwarf Planet

Two mysteriously reflective spots on the dwarf planet Ceres have rotated back into view of a NASA spacecraft studying the planetary body up-close for the first time. NASA’s Dawn probe caught sight of the strange spots on April 14 and 15 when it was about 14,000 miles above Ceres’ northern hemisphere, and were released on Monday. Dawn first detected the bright patches earlier this year. NASA officials expect to get a better look at the bright spots once Dawn gets even closer to Ceres. On April 23, the spacecraft will start a three-week stint in an almost-circular orbit about 8,400 miles above the dwarf planet’s surface before moving into an even closer orbit on May 9.