An icy interior for Ceres? Observations indicate the largest
main-belt asteroid may have an icy mantle beneath its surface.
September 12, 2005 The largest asteroid, Texas-size Ceres, may
be a mini-planet with a water-rich mantle. The Hubble Space
Telescope imaged Ceres in December 2003 and January 2004,
revelaing never-before-seen detail. Top: This contrast-enhanced
false-color composite of Ceres is made from Hubble Space
Telescope visible and ultraviolet images. Bottom: Surface
features change position as Ceres rotates in this sequence of
visible image. Hubble tracked Ceres through multiple 9-hour
rotations. Photo by NASA/ESA/STScI/J. Parker, P. Thomas, and L.
McFadden; composite: Francis Reddy September 12, 2005 Located
near the middle of the main asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter, Ceres is the largest such body at about 592 miles (952
kilometers) across. Despite its size, this asteroid has a rather
bland reputation among astronomers: Its low density, low
reflectivity (albedo), and relatively featurele