Dawn: A Journey to the Early Solar System

Embark on a captivating journey through the early solar system with this lecture by Lucy McFadden from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Explore the groundbreaking Dawn mission, launched in 2007, which studied Vesta and Ceres, the two largest objects in the asteroid belt. Discover how the spacecraft's cameras, spectrometers, and precise positioning revealed geological, compositional, and physical facts about these celestial bodies, shedding light on their 4.5-billion-year evolutionary history. Learn about the striking differences between Vesta and Ceres, including their size, density, composition, and impact history. Delve into fascinating details, such as the fact that one in every seven meteorites on Earth originates from Vesta. Gain insights into the mission's innovative ion propulsion technology, the search for moons around Ceres, and the significant findings that have reshaped our understanding of the early solar system. This comprehensive presentation, recorded live at the Space Telescope Science Institute, offers a unique opportunity to unravel the secrets of our cosmic neighborhood through an ambitious asteroidal adventure.

Intro
Website
The Cold Fuzzies
The Warm Fuzzies
Dawn Probes Deep into the Heart of the Main Asteroid Belt to Discover Secrets of the
Ceres and Vesta are the Most Massive Residents of the Main Belt
Dawn is Enabled by lon Propulsion
Dawn the little spacecraft that can: powered by solar panels 65' long
Dawn Instruments
Dawn Launch - Sept 27, 2007
Road Map to Vesta and Ceres
Dawn is the First Mission to Orbit a Main Belt Asteroid
Vesta from Orbit
Huge Impacts
Impacts Sent Pieces of Vesta to Earth
One of every 7 meteorites found on Earth are from Vesta
Geological Map of Vesta
Lithological Map from VIR spectra
Thermal and epithermal neutron maps
Hydrated material Combe et al. 2016
Significant Findings
Dawn is the First Mission to Reach a Dwarf Planet
Search for Moons of Ceres
No moons found: size limit 20-300m radius
Ceres - The Basics (modelled)
Cylindrical Projection Map
Haulani crater
Lonely Mountain
Ahuna Mons
North and South Polar Regions
Seasons on Ceres
Spectral Imaging