NASA has released new images showing the North Pole of Ceres, the dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

The images are of Ceres' North Pole is illuminated while the rest of the planet is left shrouded in shadows. They were snapped at a distance of 21,000 miles, lending further research material and a phenomenal look at Ceres, which has a diameter of only 590 miles.

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This may be the highest-resolution look at the planet thus far, but it won't stay that way for too long. As Dawn draws closer to Ceres, there will be increasingly higher-resolution looks at it. Dawn previously spent a little over a year exploring the asteroid Vesta.

"Subsequent images of Ceres will show surface features at increasingly better resolution," NASA said in a statement.

Ceres is the largest object in its asteroid belt. Dawn has been using an ion propulsion system to maneuver itself into place for its orbit around Ceres. According to NASA, Dawn will reach its destination on April 23, and will stay 8,400 miles above Ceres until May 9. The space agency also said Dawn is going to move to lower orbits.

Dawn has been managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California on behalf of the agency's Science Mission Directorate.

Earlier, Dawn examined giant asteroid Vesta from 2011 to 2012 and provided many insights into its geology and history.

TagsNASA's Dawn Photographed New Image of Ceres' North Pole, NASA, Ceres, Dawn Spacecraft, First image of Ceres, dwarf planet, Pluto, space exploration