News Planetary Science

Dawn spacecraft arrives at dwarf planet Ceres

Probe will start investigation of the early solar system

illustration of Dawn spacecraft approaching Ceres

HOME STRETCH The Dawn spacecraft has arrived at Ceres, shown in an artist’s illustration, to begin a 14-month investigation of the dwarf planet.

JPL-Caltech/NASA 

By Christopher Crockett

- More than 2 years ago

The Dawn spacecraft has arrived at the dwarf planet Ceres.

After 7½ years trekking across the solar system — including a stopover at the asteroid Vesta — Dawn pulled up alongside Ceres March 6 and let the dwarf planet’s gravity take over, pulling the probe in for a closer look.