The mystery of the lights on Ceres

[Garuda]

Guys, I do not see a pyramid, a pyramid is made with triangular, flat sides. I see a cone. I suspect this is a form of volcanic cone. There seems to be an element of almost mass hysteria in calling this a pyramid. A pyramid implies construction and possible alien involvement. It looks more natural than something I would be calling a pyramid. As to the comparison with Las Vegas, nothing so far has indicated in the least the bright spots having self illumination or artificiality.

I agree: my first reaction to the 'pyramid' also was: "that isn't a pyramid." It looks like a volcano.

As for the lights, the 'maybe the result of ice volcanoes' theory seems the most plausible to me at this stage.

[xDhirax]

Based on that gif annimation, those lights in the crater do not look like refected light from the sun. Looks more like they maintain the same brightness well into the "Dark Side".

Very interesting to say the least!!!



edit to fix typo

Exactly. No way is it "ice" (LOL) or even salt for that very reason...

This page shows an animation
The lights don't vary in brightness as it rotates in relation to the sun. That basically means they are generating thier own light. There is a larger crater, slightly above where the lights appear, something in that crater gets brighter as the sun hits it and fades. The lights however seem stay at the same intensity.
http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/dawn/ceres-a...s-bright-spots

Brilliantly stated. EXACTLY. It is self illuminated. A better explanation would be some corroded metallic interior... that's more acceptable than ice. But it is something illuminated from within that crater...

[xDhirax]

I agree: my first reaction to the 'pyramid' also was: "that isn't a pyramid." It looks like a volcano.

As for the lights, the 'maybe the result of ice volcanoes' theory seems the most plausible to me at this stage.

Yeah it may not look like an exact pyramid, BUT... it does look like an anomaly that sticks out like a sore thumb.... why are there no others visible (thus far)???



If we want a real pyramid, check out the latest one on mars. That one is undeniable:
29E71A6600000578-3136480-image-a-1_1435085880840.jpg

[Garuda]

Yeah it may not look like an exact pyramid, BUT... it does look like an anomaly that sticks out like a sore thumb.... why are there no others visible (thus far)???



If we want a real pyramid, check out the latest one on mars. That one is undeniable:
29E71A6600000578-3136480-image-a-1_1435085880840.jpg

In a way, Mount Olympus on Mars is comparable: it's the only one of its size on Mars, one giant volcano.
It's not because there is one that there has to be a second one.
It makes even less sense to claim it can't be one because there isn't a second one.

And, yes, that new image of this pyramid on Mars looks far more like a pyramid, and will in all likelihood be harder to explain.

[CasperParks]

Yeah it may not look like an exact pyramid, BUT... it does look like an anomaly that sticks out like a sore thumb.... why are there no others visible (thus far)???

If we want a real pyramid, check out the latest one on mars. That one is undeniable:
29E71A6600000578-3136480-image-a-1_1435085880840.jpg

In a way, Mount Olympus on Mars is comparable: it's the only one of its size on Mars, one giant volcano.
It's not because there is one that there has to be a second one.
It makes even less sense to claim it can't be one because there isn't a second one.

And, yes, that new image of this pyramid on Mars looks far more like a pyramid, and will in all likelihood be harder to explain.

I hope that isn't photo-shopped.

I suspect there are ancient structures on Mars.

If NASA decided to confirm something like this - Watch how fast a human mission to Mars would happen.

[xDhirax]

It's not photoshopped.....

[CasperParks]

It's not photoshopped.....

XDhirax,

Thanks for sharing video link.

Unsure if object is sticking from side or top of a hill, or straight out of the ground and camera angle makes it appear otherwise.

At this point, I'll go with looks like a real image from Rover.

[epo333]

July 6, 2015

Dawn Holding in Second Mapping Orbit


DAWN MISSION STATUS REPORT

NASA's Dawn spacecraft is healthy and stable, after experiencing an anomaly in the system that controls its orientation. It is still in its second mapping orbit 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers) above dwarf planet Ceres.


On June 30, shortly after turning on its ion engine to begin the gradual spiral down to the next mapping orbit, its protective software detected the anomaly. Dawn responded as designed by stopping all activities (including thrusting), reconfiguring its systems to safe mode and transmitting a radio signal to request further instructions. On July 1 and 2, engineers made configuration changes needed to return the spacecraft to its normal operating mode. The spacecraft is out of safe mode, using the main antenna to communicate with Earth.


Dawn will remain at its current orbital altitude until the operations team has completed an analysis of what occurred and has updated the flight plan.


Because of the versatility of Dawn's ion propulsion system and the flexibility of the mission's plan for exploring Ceres, there is no special "window" for starting or completing the spiral to the third mapping orbit. The plans for the third and fourth mapping orbits can be shifted to new dates without significant changes in objectives or productivity.

http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/dawn-holding...-mapping-orbit

[majicbar]

It's not photoshopped.....

I do not think that this is a true pyramid, I rather think that it is the corner of a cubic, or rectangular, block which is buried in the ground and has its corner vertically inclined (it is buried at an angle) . What I find compelling is that I used to work with monumental stones in a granite memorial shop here in Minneapolis and this stone has been dressed, cut to 90 degree angles. While one dimension might be angled by coincidence to be straight over such a long distance, we would need that to happen three times and it would have to happen in such a way as to generate a true cubic corner. We would have to find that with some regularity in this field of rocks, yet it is the only one I see. It does not happen in nature that we would have such a rock, this is artificial.

[Marvin]

I'm still skeptical of ice or salt deposits on the surface there. What ever it is I think it has it own illumination.

After seeing this GIF composite from NASA (of time laps Ceres photos), the bright spots on Ceres do not appear to be self-luminous... they are definitely interacting with Sunlight.

Watch the GIF here (it is the first photo displayed):

http://news.discovery.com/space/what...zergnet_511081



M