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Ceres (Dawn)

Dwarf planet Ceres takes up about one third of the view. It is gray and rocky, and appears against the black background of space. Ceres is lit by the Sun from the left side.

Ceres is a dwarf planet in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. After launching in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope will help researchers discover more about the formation of the solar system by observing objects like Ceres in the main asteroid belt with its powerful infrared capability. This image of Ceres was captured by the Dawn spacecraft in 2015.

About the Data

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    DAWN: Framing Camera
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    Feb. 19, 2015
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Ceres
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Dwarf Planet
  • Release Date
    May 21, 2020
  • Science Release
    NASA’s Webb Will Study the ‘Building Blocks’ of Our Solar System
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, Caltech, UCLA, MPS, IDA

Downloads

  • Full Res (For Print), 1280 × 720
    tif (2.65 MB)
  • Full Res (For Display), 1280 × 720
    png (138.67 KB)

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, Caltech, UCLA, MPS, IDA

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