Dwarf planet Ceres is now an Ocean World.
                     Dwarf planet Ceres is now an 
Ocean World
INTRODUCTION
• There are five dwarf planets in the solar 
system. They are Pluto, Eris, Haumea, 
Makemake and Ceres. 
• The NASA researchers have now discovered 
that the Ceres has an ocean world.
Source: YouTube
HIGHLIGHTS
• Ceres is found between Mars and Jupiter. 
• According to the research, Ceres looks to be 
a remnant ocean world. 
• Also, Ceres has a brine reservoir that is 
located 40 km deep and is 100s of miles 
wide. This makes the dwarf planet water 
rich.
Source: The Indian Express
DWARF PLANETS
• There are other moons and dwarf planets in 
the solar system where oceans exist. 
• This includes moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
Source: The Straits Time
HYGIEA
• There are contradictions if Hygiea is a dwarf 
planet or an asteroid.
• According to the observations made under 
European Space Organization telescope 
SPHERE, Hygiea shall be considered as dwarf 
planet. 
• This is because it satisfied the main four 
conditions of a dwarf planet set by 
International Astronomical Union.
Source: Astronomy Trek
CONDITIONS OF A DWARF PLANET
• The body should orbit around the sun.
• It should not be a moon.
• It should not have cleared the 
neighbourhood around its orbit. 
• It should have enough mass of gravity to pull 
it into a rough spherical shape.
Source: Byju’s
CERES EXPLORATION
• The Ceres was first spotted in 1801 by 
Giuseppe Piazzi. He assumed that Ceres was 
the missing planet between Jupiter and 
Mars.
• However, it was clarified as dwarf planet in 
2006.
Source: civilsdaily.com
THE DAWN MISSION 
OF NASA
• The mission was launched in 2007. It orbited 
two Ceres and Vesta. 
• In 2011 it became the first spacecraft to orbit 
Vesta. In 2015, it became the first spacecraft 
to orbit Ceres.
Source: NASA
DAWN SPACECRAFT
• NASA’s Dawn spacecraft visited Ceres in 
2018, getting around 22 miles from the 
surface. 
• Images from Dawn’s approach showed 
several bright spots in the 57-mile Occator 
Crater. 
Source: Wikipedia
OCEAN WORLD CERES
• Ceres is a dwarf planet and the largest object 
in the Great Asteroid Belt, and it has a new 
distinction i.e. ocean world. 
• The latest data it has a vast repository of 
salty water hiding below its surface. 
• That indicates it a possible space for life in 
the solar system. 
Source: The Daily Star
SOURCES OF SALT
• The team identified two sources of salt 
deposits on Ceres. 
– The first was a slushy pool of brine just 
below the surface. 
– The fractures intersect a larger, long-
lived reservoir of brine further down. 
Source: ZME Science