Which is, by far, the closest dwarf planet orbiting at only 2.8 times Earth’s distance from the sun?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CHSL Exam 2024 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On: 01 Jul, 2024 Shift 2)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Ceres

Key Points

Ceres is the closest dwarf planet to Earth, orbiting at only 2.8 times Earth's distance from the sun.
It is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Ceres was the first dwarf planet to be visited by a spacecraft, NASA's Dawn mission, which provided detailed images and data about its surface and composition.
Unlike other dwarf planets such as Pluto, Eris, and Makemake, which are located in the distant Kuiper Belt, Ceres resides much closer to the inner solar system.

Additional Information

Ceres was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on January 1, 1801.
It is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture.
Ceres has a diameter of about 940 kilometers, making it the largest object in the asteroid belt.
It is composed of a mixture of water ice and various hydrated minerals such as carbonates and clays.
Studies suggest that Ceres may have a subsurface ocean, making it a target of interest in the search for extraterrestrial life.