Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt – and the smallest known dwarf planet – is 590 miles (950 kilometers) in diameter. Its orbit between Mars and Jupiter takes 4.6 Earth years to complete. A day on Ceres is 9 hours and 4 minutes long.
FULL STORY: What Would It Be Like to Live On Dwarf Planet Ceres in the Asteroid Belt?
Ceres may have a thin atmosphere and possibly an ocean of water beneath its surface. No one could live unprotected on the surface, but future astronauts could mine water from Ceres to create oxygen and rocket fuel.
Photos: Dwarf Planet Ceres, the Solar System's Largest Asteroid
Gravity on Ceres is about 2.8 percent of that on Earth. The surface temperature ranges from minus 100 degrees F (minus 73 degrees C) to minus 225 F (minus 143 C).
Read our full special report:
Living on Other Planets: What Would It Be Like?Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on the moon? What about Mars, or Venus or Mercury? Find out what it might be like to live on other worlds in our solar system, from Mercury to Pluto and beyond in our 12-part series.
- The Asteroid Belt Explained: Space Rocks by the Millions (Infographic)
- Asteroid Basics: A Space Rock Quiz
- Photos: Asteroids in Deep Space
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