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Dawn Overview Video — Dusk for Dawn: NASA Mission to the Asteroid Belt

Dawn Media Reel from JPLraw on Vimeo.

Dawn Media Reel

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Top Dawn Images

View a curated selection of Dawn's best images.
Ceres Images

View image gallery of the dwarf planet Ceres.
Vesta Images

View image gallery of the second-largest world in the asteroid belt.
Dawn Spacecraft

View image gallery of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
Videos

Check out fly-overs, audio clips, podcasts and animated shorts.
Dawn Artwork

View image gallery of Dawn illustrations.

Related News

By looking at the Moon, the most complete and accessible chronicle of the asteroid collisions that carved our young solar system, a group of scientists is challenging our understanding of a part of Earth’s history.

NASA's Moon Data Sheds Light on Earth's Asteroid Impact History

NASA's Moon Data Sheds Light on Earth's Asteroid Impact History

On December 31, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft entered into orbit around the asteroid Bennu, and made Bennu the smallest object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Enters Close Orbit Around Bennu, Breaking Record

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Enters Close Orbit Around Bennu, Breaking Record

The asteroid will fly safely past Earth on Saturday, Dec. 22, at a distance of about 1.8 million miles (2.9 million kilometers).

Holiday Asteroid Imaged with NASA Radar

Holiday Asteroid Imaged with NASA Radar

Recently analyzed data from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has revealed water locked inside the clays that make up its scientific target, the asteroid Bennu.

NASA's Newly Arrived OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Already Discovers Water on Asteroid

NASA's Newly Arrived OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Already Discovers Water on Asteroid

On New Year's Day 2019, NASA's New Horizons will fly by a distant Kuiper Belt Object—and open a new chapter in how we define our place in the cosmos.

To Ultima and Beyond: Our Solar System's Small Worlds

To Ultima and Beyond: Our Solar System's Small Worlds

As OSIRIS-REx closes in on its target destination, the asteroid Bennu, anticipation is building for the first-ever, closeup glimpse of this prominent clump of rock. Meet a few members of our team.

People of OSIRIS-REx

People of OSIRIS-REx

Here’s a lineup of the various kinds of small bodies that orbit the Sun and sometimes impact planets and each other.

The Usual Suspects: a Rogues Gallery of Asteroids, Comets and Other Witnesses to History

The Usual Suspects: a Rogues Gallery of Asteroids, Comets and Other Witnesses to History

NASA will host a live Science Chat at 2 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 7, to discuss upcoming encounters of two of the agency’s planetary missions, New Horizons and OSIRIS-REx.

NASA Hosts Science Chat on Two Upcoming Out-of-this-World Encounters

NASA Hosts Science Chat on Two Upcoming Out-of-this-World Encounters

Small worlds witnessed dramatic changes in our solar system that occurred long before humans. Here's how we're studying them.

Cosmic Detective Work: Why We Care About Space Rocks

Cosmic Detective Work: Why We Care About Space Rocks

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has gone silent, ending a historic mission that studied time capsules from the solar system's earliest chapter. Here are some great shots from its extended mission in the main asteroid belt.

10+ Great Shots from the Dawn Mission

10+ Great Shots from the Dawn Mission

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has gone silent, ending a historic mission that studied time capsules from the solar system's earliest chapter.

NASA's Dawn Mission to Asteroid Belt Comes to End

NASA's Dawn Mission to Asteroid Belt Comes to End

NASA has given approval for the implementation and 2021 launch of the Lucy spacecraft to the Trojan asteroids.

NASA's Mission to Jupiter's Trojans Given the Green Light for Development

NASA's Mission to Jupiter's Trojans Given the Green Light for Development

A mission of firsts makes history at a comet despite setbacks.

How We Saved the Deep Space 1 Spacecraft

How We Saved the Deep Space 1 Spacecraft

Team exceeded all challenges over 11 years of exploration of Vesta and Ceres.

Dusk Approaches for Dawn

Dusk Approaches for Dawn

The path through the solar system is a rocky road. Asteroids, comets, Kuiper Belt Objects—all kinds of small bodies of rock, metal and ice are in constant motion as they orbit the Sun. But what’s the difference between them? Why do these miniature worlds fascinate space explorers so much?

10 Things: What's That Space Rock?

10 Things: What's That Space Rock?

OSIRIS-REx searched the area around Bennu (circled in green) for any signs of dust plumes, which could present a hazard to the spacecraft, For now, the coast is clear.

OSIRIS-REx Completes First Dust Plume Search and Continues Approach to Bennu

OSIRIS-REx Completes First Dust Plume Search and Continues Approach to Bennu

Now drawing to a close, the mission that explored the planet-like worlds of Vesta and Ceres revealed Solar System time capsules and broke engineering barriers.

Legacy of NASA's Dawn, Near the End of its Mission

Legacy of NASA's Dawn, Near the End of its Mission

How does a mission like Dawn grow from an idea to a spacecraft exploring distant worlds?

Anatomy of a space mission: How to get from an idea to the launchpad and beyond

Anatomy of a space mission: How to get from an idea to the launchpad and beyond

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will host a live Science Chat Friday, Sept. 7, on what NASA's Dawn spacecraft, nearing the end of its 11-year mission, has taught us about the early solar system.

NASA to Host Live Chat on Successful Mission to Asteroid Belt

NASA to Host Live Chat on Successful Mission to Asteroid Belt

OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey the surface, collect a sample and deliver it safely back to Earth. The spacecraft has traveled approximately 1.1 billion miles (1.8 billion km) since its Sept. 8, 2016, launch and is scheduled to arrive at Bennu on Dec. 3.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Begins Asteroid Operations Campaign

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Begins Asteroid Operations Campaign

Dawn has given us valuable information about planet-like worlds Vesta and Ceres, providing insight into the history of our solar system.

Ion propulsion isn’t new. In fact, ion propulsion, a type of electric propulsion, was originally conceived of in the early 1900s.

A Brief History of Ion Propulsion

A Brief History of Ion Propulsion

During its decade-long journey, Dawn has observed planet-like worlds Vesta and Ceres, collecting detailed data about the two fascinating bodies in the main asteroid belt.

Vesta and Ceres: What We Knew About These Worlds Before and After Dawn

Vesta and Ceres: What We Knew About These Worlds Before and After Dawn

Keri Bean is a science planning and sequencing engineer for Dawn and is training to be a Mars rover driver for the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Learn more about her.

Profile: Keri Bean, Science Planning and Sequencing Engineer

Kristina is the lead systems engineer for Dawn at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Learn more about her.

Profile: Kristina Larson, Lead Systems Engineer