[4][5] In August 2020, NASA confirmed that Ceres was a water-rich body with a deep reservoir of brine that percolated to the surface in various locations causing the "bright spots", including those in Occator crater.

[11] In July 2018, NASA released a comparison of physical features, including Occator, found on Ceres with similar ones present on Earth.

[15] According to a simulation of the Occator impactor, the body was made of igneous rock and was approximately 5 km in diameter, with an estimated velocity range of 4.8 km/sec to 7.5 km/sec and a target surface lithology of icy-rock material.

Discovered in March 6, 2015 during the early stages of mapping of Ceres's surface, the Dawn mission located a bright region on the Occator crater floor.

[17][18] The material in this region was determined to have a dominant composition of sodium (Na) carbonates, aluminium (Al) phyllosilicates, and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl).

[17][19][20] Occator crater’s central 1 km deep depression displays a pronounced luminous feature named Cerealia Facula.

[14][16] These fractures cross over the northeast lobate flow deposits at the base of the crater wall that extends into the central depression.

[15][16]  The material within these zones shows significant displacement from direct relation to the crater wall slumping and floor uplift during the impact event.

[17] Near the central depression and slightly offset from the center is an ~ 3 km wide dome structure with an upper surface densely covered in cross pattern fractures.