Ceres was initially clas-sified as a planet and later classified as an asteroid. In recognition of its planet-like qualities, Ceres was designated a dwarf planet in 2006 along with Pluto and Eris.

The planetary system we call home is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity – the planets Mercury, …

Apr 9, 2026 · NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system.

Apr 9, 2026 · DWARF PLANETS Pluto Ceres Makemake Haumea Eris HYPOTHETICAL Planet X Moons About Moons BY DESTINATION

Apr 13, 2015 · A new color map of dwarf planet Ceres, which NASA's Dawn spacecraft has been orbiting since March, reveals the diversity of the surface of this planetary body. Differences in …

Apr 9, 2026 · The tilt of an objects equator in relation to the plane of the ecliptic. The distance from the center of an object to its equator. The outer or uppermost part of a planet, moon, asteroid, comet or …

Apr 20, 2015 · The two brightest spots on dwarf planet Ceres, which have fascinated scientists for months, are back in view in the newest images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Dawn took these …

Instead, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union created a new class of objects called dwarf planet, and placed Pluto, Eris, and the asteroid Ceres in this category. Subsequent discoveries …

NASA Solar System Exploration

Eris, another dwarf planet even more distant than Pluto, has a small moon of its own, named Dysnomia. Haumea, another dwarf planet, has two satellites, Hi'iaka and Namaka. Ceres, the closest dwarf …