Ceres

Ceres is a dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered in 1801 by the Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi and is the largest object in the asteroid belt, accounting for about 40% of its total mass. Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet due to its size and shape, as it is large enough for its gravity to maintain a nearly round shape but does not clear its orbit of other debris. The surface of Ceres is composed of water ice, minerals, and salts, and it displays a variety of geological features, including craters, bright spots, and signs of past water activity. In 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft became the first mission to visit Ceres, providing valuable data about its composition and geology.