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Dawn launched into space

On Thursday,NASA launched the Dawn spacecraft to explore the asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn will give scientists a better idea of how the solar system came into existence.

Most of Dawn’s speed builds slowly over time, so Dawn will take four years to reach Vesta. Three hundred miles in diameter, Vesta has a rocky surface similar to that of Earth. On its way, Dawn will slingshot around Mars in February 2009.

After six months of observations at Vesta, Dawn will start a three-year trek to Ceres, where water may be present. Dawn is expected to compare the two worlds of Vesta and Ceres with the help of instruments on board.

Source: decaturdaily.com

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