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| The Dwarf Planet Ceres. |
The
dwarf planet Ceres is located in the main asteroid belt, between orbit of the
planet Mars and the planet Jupiter. The Ceres is the largest object in the main
asteroid belt. The Ceres is nothing but an asteroid but it is large enough to categorized as a dwarf planet. The Ceres has enough gravitational force to be
round in shape. The Ceres is firstly classified as a planet. But when
scientists found similar object near the Ceres. So, the Ceres is reclassified
as an asteroid. So, the Ceres becomes largest asteroid in the main asteroid
belt. As other objects were discovered in the neighborhood of the Ceres. Then
it was realized that the Ceres must be classified as in a new category. So, the
Ceres was given the designation under the modern system of minor planet. So,
Ceres becomes the closest dwarf planet from the Earth. The dwarf planet Ceres
named after the Roman goddess of corn and harvests.
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| The closest dwarf planet from Earth, Ceres. |
Composition of the Ceres
Now,
we here discuss about the composition of the Ceres. According to observation of
the Ceres, the core of the ceres is made up of solid rock. The core is
surrounded with the Mantle. The Mantle of the Ceres is made up of water ice. The
crust of the Ceres is rocky and dusty and the crust has salts deposited on it.
The salts are like magnesium sulphate. The surface of the Ceres is covered with
the craters, countless craters. But the craters are small and young and not
larger than 170 miles in diameter. But the dwarf planet is formed in the
asteroid belt and in 4.5 billion years no any big asteroid is Hiten, this is so
rare thing. So, after some research by scientists some theories are found.
Scientists thinks that the craters may be smoothen out over time due to the
layers of ice just below the surface. There is some another lower density material
present such as salt present just below the surface. Another theory is that, it
is possible that the ice volcanos on the Ceres erased the large craters.
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| The interior structure of the Ceres. |
The
composition of the Ceres is not like the nearby asteroids. But the Ceres is
more similar to the inner planets in our solar system i.e. Planet Mercury,
Planet Venus, Planet Earth and Planet Mars. But the density of the Ceres is less
than that of the inner planets. The similarities between the Ceres and the
inner planets are their layered interior. The inner composition of the Ceres is
not discovered yet. But the scientists think that the Ceres may have 25 % of
water. This percentage is more that the percentage of water on the Earth.
Surface of the Ceres
The
entire surface of the Ceres dwarf planet is remarkably homogeneous on global
scale and also the surface is rich in carbonates and ammoniated phyllosilicates
that have been altered by water. The water oceans on the Ceres which is existed
in the history of the Ceres. The water should have left an ice layer under the
surface as in frozen state. According to the evidence found by the scientists,
the crust of the Ceres was at least partially destroyed by later impacts of
asteroid, because of this the ice mixing with the salts and silicate rich material
of the ancient seafloor and the material beneath. The several bright spots have
been observed on the surface of the Ceres. The bright spots are caused by a substance
on the surface, possibly ice or salts, reflecting sunlight.
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| The surface of the Ceres. |
Now
we discuss about the atmosphere of the dwarf planet Ceres. The observations
indicate that the atmosphere is of tenuous water vapor outgassing from the
water ice on the surface, this makes the Ceres an active asteroid. The
spacecraft Dawn confirmed that the Ceres has a transient atmosphere. This
transient atmosphere appears when some solar activities takes place. That means
the atmosphere appears to be linked to the solar activity. When energetic
particles coming from the sun, hit exposed ice within craters then the ice on
Ceres can sublimate.
The
Ceres is described as an “Embryonic Planet”. During the formation of the Ceres,
the gravitational force of planet Jupiter prevented the Ceres from becoming the
fully formed planet. The Ceres is only one surviving in the inner solar system
and the other protoplanets may be either merging to form a terrestrial planet
or may be ejected from the solar system because of the gravitational force of
the planet Jupiter. The formation of the Ceres is seeming that it is formed
most likely between the orbit of the Jupiter and Saturn and because the
gravitational force of these planets, the Ceres was scattered into the main
asteroid belt. The ammonia salt founded in the “Occator Crater”, this proves
that the Ceres originally formed in the outer solar system.
Rotation and Axial tilt of the Ceres
The
day on the Ceres is 9 hours longer that means the Ceres requires 9 hours to
complete one rotation around its axis of rotation. There were no any seasonal
cycles on the Ceres because the axial tilt is not enough to form a seasonal
cycle on it. The axial tilt of the Ceres is only 4o. This very small
or negligible axial tilt permanently shadowed the polar region of the Ceres. These
polar regions are expected to act as cold traps and these cold traps accumulate
water ice over a time. Likely, the situation on the Earth’s moon and the
Mercury planet.
Magnetic field of the Ceres
We
discussed several things about the dwarf planet Ceres. But one question comes
in mind is, Does Ceres have magnetic field? The Ceres can produce an induced
magnetic field and results to form an induced magnetosphere. This induced
magnetosphere is result of the more ice present on and also beneath the surface
of the Ceres. But this induced magnetosphere has not stronger so that the Ceres
influence any object in the asteroid belt or to produce any geological
activities inside. So, the scientists titled the Ceres with on any magnetic
field around it.
Orbit of the Ceres
The
orbit of the Ceres was finalized between the orbit of the Jupiter and the Mars.
The Ceres was scattered into the main asteroid belt because of the strongest
magnetic field of the Jupiter planet. According to the composition which was
disclosed by the scientists that the Ceres is not formed in the main asteroid
belt. It may be formed in somewhere in outer solar system.
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| Orbit of the Ceres |
The
dwarf planet Ceres requires approximately 1680 Earth days or 4.6 Earth years to
complete one orbit around the sun. The Ceres is one of the closest dwarf planets
in our solar system. The average orbital speed of the Ceres is nearly 17.9
kilometers per second. The orbit of the Ceres is moderately inclined of 10.5O
compared with plane of solar system. As the position of the Ceres is in the
main asteroid belt, the transit of the inner solar system planets occurs. If somehow,
we humans managed to go on the Ceres, we can see the transit of our Earth, the
first planet Mercury, the hottest planet Venus, and the Red Planet Mars. The
Ceres has no any moon orbiting around it.
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