Based data gathered by NASA's Dawn, new study claims the spots are deposits of sodium carbonate that could have been formed by crystallization. The mystery of Ceres bright spots, first captured by Dawn as it neared the dwarf planet last year, may have finally been solved. Images of Occator captured by Dawn showed shinning spots in its center that could not be readily explained. Many theories were proposed and NASA also posed the question to the world seeking answers to what those mysterious spots could be. Though it was widely accepted the spots were likely salt deposits, the chemical composition remained unclear and what caused the spots. In a new paper published in Nature, its authors claim the salts could be sodium carbonate deposits. "Spectra of these bright areas are consistent with a large amount of sodium carbonate, constituting the most concentrated known extraterrestrial occurrence of carbonate on kilometre-wide scales in the Solar System," wrote authors of the study. he salts