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Dwarf planet · Dwarf planet (asteroid belt)

Ceres

(1) Ceres

Type
Dwarf planet (asteroid belt)
Diameter
939 km

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA · NASA media (public domain)

Overview

Scientific overview

Ceres is a dwarf planet (asteroid belt) in orbit around The Sun.

Physical characteristics

Diameter
939 km
Radius
470 km

Scale

Compared to Earth

Earth
Ceres

Ceres is 14× smaller than Earth

939 km across · Earth is 12,742 km

Gallery

Ceres From Dawn, Processed

This processed image, taken Jan. 13, 2015, shows the dwarf planet Ceres as seen from the Dawn spacecraft. The image hints at craters on the surface of Ceres. Dawn framing camera took this image at 238,000 miles 383,000…

2015

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA · NASA media (public domain)

Source archive ↗

Observation

How this was captured

Source
NASA
Observation date
2016-11-18

Exploration

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

  • NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics

    Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.

  • IAUInternational Astronomical Union

    Official naming, definitions, constellation boundaries, and astronomical nomenclature.