Dwarf Planets

Ceres

Explore Ceres and the small icy worlds that reveal how the outer Solar System is structured.

Visual guide for Ceres
Quick facts

Ceres at a glance

TypeDwarf planet
RegionAsteroid belt
LocationBetween Mars and Jupiter
Known forBright salt deposits

A smaller class of world

Ceres belongs to the population of smaller worlds that share the Solar System with the eight major planets. Dwarf planets are round under their own gravity but occupy regions where many other objects remain.

What the image can tell you

Look for bright and dark surface regions, possible ice, overall shape and any visible companions or rings. These details help reveal composition and geological history.

Why this matters

Ceres helps us understand that the Solar System did not end at Neptune. The outer regions contain a rich population of icy worlds that preserve clues to how the planets formed.

From the original archive

This English guide is part of the rebuilt VisibleGalaxies archive and uses topic and visual material from the supplied source site.