Ceres is a dwarf planet located within the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter. The dwarf planet received its name in honor of the Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility Ceres (Ceres). Consisting mainly of rocky and ice formations, it is approximately 950 km in diameter.
Discovery of the dwarf planet
Ceres - an asteroid or is it a planet? An unknown celestial body, accidentally discovered in 1801 by the Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, was first identified as a comet, followed by the assumption that it was an asteroid. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union formed a new class of objects in the solar system, known as dwarf planets. Ceres began to be considered a planet, though dwarf, on a par with Vesta, Juno and others.
Physical characteristics and composition of the planet
Scientists believe that Ceres has a rocky core and an ice mantle 100 kilometers thick. Some of them also believe that it has a liquid water layer of up to 200 million cubic kilometers. This assumption makes the dwarf planet an interesting object for the study of those researchers who are looking for signs of extraterrestrial life. NASA began a study called Don, the mission of which was to make a space trip right into the asteroid belt to collect data on the surface features and chemical composition of the dwarf.
Spectral analysis showed traces of minerals and water, and in some places, probably also an ice cover. According to astronomers, the planet Ceres (NASA's photos give reason to think so) can have deposits of fresh water in much larger quantities than on Earth, and they occupy an area equal to the territory of India, Argentina or 4% of the lunar surface. The outer layer is quite porous, with the possible presence of iron-rich clay rocks and carbonates.
NASA Research
There is no longer any doubt about the refutation of the fact that the planet Ceres is an asteroid, one of those that make up its orbit. NASA's Don automated spacecraft entered planetary orbit on March 6, 2015. Pictures of the object were taken in January 2015, when the ship was only approaching Ceres. Two bright spots in one of the craters were captured on the camera. On March 3, 2015, a NASA rapporteur announced that these could be traces of ice or salt. On May 11, 2015, higher-resolution images appeared that showed more bright spots.
Ice, flame and geological development
Ceres surface is relatively warm. The maximum temperature reaches −38 ° C. Ice at this temperature is quite unstable. Thanks to the ultraviolet observations of the IUE spacecraft, a significant amount of hydroxide ions were discovered at the North Pole of the planet. They are a product of water evaporation due to ultraviolet solar radiation.
The geological development of the rocky and icy surface depended directly on the heat sources available during and after the formation of such a space object as Ceres (dwarf planet). These processes are also likely to be associated with certain volcanic and tectonic movements. Ice formations on the surface gradually rose, covering with themselves minerals in the form of clay and carbonates.
Planet Ceres in astrology and mythology
In astrology, Ceres (the planet) is a symbol of the connection between the parent and the child. There is no greater love on earth than the love of a mother for her child. In medical astrology, the defeat of Ceres indicates the presence of a problem of a reproductive nature and infertility. As a celestial body, the planet is responsible for working capacity, hard work and the ability to adequately carry out professional assignments, productive ideas, projects and creations.
In mythology, Ceres (planet), the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter, was the sister of Zeus (Jupiter). She is the mother of the whole earth and is responsible for harvest, cooking, love, abundance and comfort. She was the goddess of agriculture, and when her daughter Persephone (Proserpine) was abducted by Pluto, who wanted to force her to marry him, Ceres was so carried away by the search for her daughter that she abandoned her concern for the Earth, which became completely cold. This is how the autumn and winter seasons were characterized. In the spring and summer, Persephone returned Hermes to his mother, and everything around flourished.
Ceres is a dwarf planet on the same level with Pluto, which is an equal player along with other participants in the cosmic field of the solar system. This is the largest of all the minor planets discovered by mankind.