Ceres, also known as 1 Ceres (symbol: ), is the smallest dwarf planet in the Solar System and the only one in the main asteroid belt.
It was discovered on 1 January 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi, and is named after the Roman goddess Ceres, as the goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and motherly love. After about 200 years from its discovery, the International Astronomical Union decided to upgrade Ceres from an asteroid (or minor planet) to dwarf planetary status in 2006.