What does «ceres» mean in Spanish?
- First catalogued asteroid, discovered on January 1, 1801 by G. Piazzi, who named it after the Roman goddess Ceres. It became a dwarf planet by decision of the International Astronomical Union in 2006. It is the largest object in the asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, slightly closer to the orbit of Mars. With a diameter of 945 km, Ceres is the largest of the minor planets and the only dwarf planet within Neptune's orbit. It is the 33rd largest known body in the Solar System.