Ceres (dwarf planet)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ceres-dwarf-planet

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is Ceres (dwarf planet)?9.39 × 10^20 kg
2. Who discovered Ceres (dwarf planet)?January 1, 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi
3. What is the designation?Dwarf planet (1 Ceres)
4. What is the orbital position?Main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter
5. What is Ceres and where is it located?Ceres is the biggest object in the asteroid belt, a dwarf planet that sits between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is the only dwarf planet in the inner part of our solar system.
6. Why is Ceres called an "ice ball" and does it have volcanoes?Ceres has a lot of ice in its outer layer, and it can have cryovolcanoes, which erupt ice instead of molten rock.

Protoplanetary Disk: A rotating disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, from which planets eventually form.
Cryovolcanism: Volcanic activity where eruptions consist of volatiles like water, ammonia, or methane, rather than molten rock.
Differentiated Body: A celestial object that has separated into distinct layers (e.g., core, mantle, crust) based on density.
Tenuous Atmosphere: An extremely thin layer of gas surrounding a celestial body, with very low pressure.