Dwarf planet · 1

Ceres

A dwarf planet in the asteroid belt

Dawn orbited Ceres after exploring Vesta. Its observations revealed bright salt deposits, ice-rich material and a differentiated interior.

1 Ceres · spacecraft or telescope observation
Dawn view of Ceres. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA · Image source ↗

Understand this world

The asteroid belt is mostly spaceUnderstand the belt’s sparse population, Jupiter’s resonances and the different histories preserved by its larger objects. · 3 min

Measurements

Effective diameter
939.4 km
Semimajor axis
2.766 AU
Orbital period
1,679.853 Earth days
Orbit, physical values and uncertainties
eccentricity
.07969229514816586 ± 4.7755E-12
semi-major axis
2.765552595034094 au ± 1.0134E-11
perihelion distance
2.545159361382861 au ± 1.9113E-11
inclination; angle with respect to x-y ecliptic plane
10.58802780183462 deg ± 4.6124E-9
longitude of the ascending node
80.24862682043221 deg ± 6.1807E-8
argument of perihelion
73.29421453021587 deg ± 6.6076E-8
mean anomaly
274.4193463761342 deg ± 6.1728E-9
time of perihelion passage
2461599.841466614066 TDB ± 2.8446E-8
sidereal orbital period
1679.853119758983 d ± 9.2333E-9
mean motion
.21430445064843 deg/d ± 1.1779E-12
aphelion distance
2.985945828685327 au ± 1.0942E-11
absolute magnitude
3.34
magnitude slope
0.12
diameter
939.4 km ± 0.2
extent
964.4 x 964.2 x 891.8 km ± 0.2 x 0.2 x 0.2
GM
62.6284 km^3/s^2 ± 0.0009
bulk density
2.162 g/cm^3 ± 0.008
rotation period
9.074170 h ± 0.000001
pole direction
291.421/66.758 ± 0.007/0.002
geometric albedo
0.090 ± 0.003
B-V
0.713 ± 0.014
U-B
0.426 ± 0.026
Tholen spectral type
G
SMASSII spectral type
C

Published JPL orbital elements describe their stated epoch; they are not current positions. Small-body diameters can be effective/model-dependent sizes, not spherical shapes. Missing measurements remain unavailable. Pluto’s diameter uses the New Horizons reference rather than an empty SBDB field. Orbital epoch: JD 2461200.5 TDB.

Object reference ↗

Missions & milestones

1 launches · 0 connected events

These are target-related flights and every connected programme record in the production catalogue. A connected event may concern another stage or target of the same journey. Launch outcome does not establish arrival or current operation.

TARGET-RELATED FLIGHT

Dawn

September 27, 2007 · UTC

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Complete source cohort: 9,386 records.

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