Ceres: The First Asteroid Trivia Quiz

Answer: Smaller than Earth's Moon

Ceres measures in with a diameter of roughly 950 kilometers (about 590 miles). Compared to other, sometimes uneven, asteroids of a smaller size, Ceres is roughly spherical. By comparison, the diameter of the moon is roughly 3,475 kilometers (or 2,160 miles).

Answer: After 1500 CE

Ceres was discovered in 1801 CE by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazza. The full name he proposed for the body was Ceres Ferdinandea (after Ferdinand III, King of Sicily). Ceres was traditionally the Roman goddess of agriculture. Initial observations of Ceres incorrectly suggested that it might be an asteroid or a star.

Answer: Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

Ceres sits at an average of 413 million kilometers (or 257 million miles) from the Sun, in the gap between Mars and Jupiter. It takes Ceres approximately 4.6 Earth years to orbit around the sun. With a day measuring 9 Earth hours and 4 minutes, there would be over 3,000 Cererean days in a Cererean year.

Answer: Under 20% of Earth's gravity

To someone native to Earth, the gravity of Ceres (just under 3%) would seem incredibly light. A 200-lb. Person would weigh approximately six pounds and would be able to bounce 50 feet (16 meters) high when walking.The total mass of Ceres would be about 9.38x10 to the 20th power kilograms.

Answer: No

Although Ceres is the largest asteroid in the Solar System, it does not have a moon. Over 600 asteroids have a moon of some sort including Sylvia, Hector, and Eugenia. All told, there are over 1 million asteroids in the Solar System of at least 1 kilometer (about 1.6 miles) in diameter.

Overall, Ceres accounts for over 25% of the collective mass of the asteroid belt (and perhaps as much as 40%).

Answer: Yes

The NASA space probe "Dawn" began orbiting Ceres in March 2015. It actively orbited the asteroid for over 3 years and still remains in orbit, though derelict. In addition "Dawn" also orbited the asteroid Vesta.

The two asteroids were selected in part because of their contrasting natures.

Answer: Yes

Perhaps up to 30% of the mass of Ceres could be water (at least in some form). Ceres may have an internal ocean below the surface. It is possible that Ceres even has a very thin atmosphere that includes water vapor. Ceres's surface may also include cryo-volcanos (spewing water and ice).

Answer: Less than 15 degrees

The axial tilt of Ceres is only about 4 degrees.This leads to Ceres having very little seasonal variation and the deeper craters on Ceres being in almost continuous shadow.

This, combined with the thin atmosphere, makes for a unique climate.

Answer: Under 0 degrees Celsius

The surface temperature of Ceres is about -108 degrees Celsius (-163 degrees Fahrenheit) at night, rising to about -33 degrees Celsius (-28 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day.

This explains why the water on the surface is usually in the form of ice and helps to explain why there is no likelihood of life on Ceres's.

Answer: After 2000 CE

Ceres was classed as a dwarf planet beginning in 2006 along with Pluto, Eris, and several other bodies. Ceres is somewhat unique in this group in that it is located in the inner Solar System as opposed to the other bodies that are located beyond Neptune's orbit.

One of the differences between the dwarf planets and the planets is that the former have not cleared their own orbits of other matter.