Ceres location in the solar system

Is Ceres a planet or an asteroid?

Ceres is the closest dwarf planet to Earth and the largest object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Since its discovery in 1801, Ceres has had multiple identities. First, it was thought to be a planet. Then, when it became apparent that it was too small, it was reclassified as an asteroid — the first to be discovered.

Where is Ceres now?

About 4 billion years ago, Ceres settled into its current location among the leftover pieces of planetary formation in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is more similar to the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) than its asteroid neighbors, but it is much less dense.

Is Ceres a dwarf planet?

When NASA's Dawn arrived in 2015, Ceres became the first dwarf planet to receive a visit from a spacecraft. Called an asteroid for many years, Ceres is so much bigger and so different from its rocky neighbors that scientists classified it as a dwarf planet in 2006.

How did Ceres become a planet?

Ceres is described by scientists as an embryonic planet or proto planet, meaning that it started to form as a planet but failed to finish. The failure was guaranteed by Neptune’s strong gravity which prevented Ceres from becoming a fully formed planet.

Does Ceres have a moon?

Ceres does not have any moons. Ceres does not have any rings. Ceres formed along with the rest of the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust in to become a small dwarf planet. Scientists describe Ceres as an "embryonic planet," which means it started to form but didn't quite finish.

How big is Ceres?

Thus Ceres is 1/13 the radius of Earth or 27% that of the Moon. The diameter of Ceres is estimated to be about 945 kilometers, meaning that Ceres is a comparative size to the top to bottom length of the United Kingdom. It follows an orbit between Mars and Jupiter, within the asteroid belt and closer to the orbit of Mars.