NASA Spacecraft Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet

NASA Spacecraft Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet

03/06/2015 11:00 AM EST

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has become the first mission to achieve orbit around a dwarf planet. The spacecraft was approximately 38,000 miles (61,000) kilometers from Ceres when it was captured by the dwarf planet’s gravity at about 4:39 a.m. PST (7:39 a.m. EST) Friday.