Ceres (dwarf planet exploration relevance)

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and is classified as a dwarf planet. Studying Ceres helps scientists understand the early solar system's formation and the building blocks of planets. Its relatively accessible location allows spacecraft like NASA's Dawn mission to explore its surface, composition, and potential water ice, which may hold clues about the origins of life. As a body containing both rocky and icy material, Ceres offers insights into planetary differentiation and the processes that shaped planets, making it a valuable target for understanding planetary evolution and the distribution of water in our solar system.