Ceres
Ceres (minor planet designation 1 Ceres) is a rocky selenic body in the Sol asteroid belt, and is in fact the largest of the belt objects at approximately 30% of all the mass in the Belt. It is referred to interchangeably as both an asteroid and dwarf planet; while it is roughly spherical under hydrostatics, its composition is highly similar to other asteroidal bodies in the belt. As a planet, its airless, pockmarked surface and volatile composition rank it as an icy selena. In fact, this ice is one of the key traits that render Ceres a crucially important settlement in the Sol system.
Geography
Location
Ceres occupies a near-circular, slightly inclined orbit in the main Belt, with an average solar distance of 2.7 astronomical units. Its inclination, roughly 11 degrees with respect to the ecliptic, can make interorbital access to the planet somewhat difficult at times. However, its location at the center of the Belt takes it past most other main belt objects at various points and has captured a number of much smaller bodies in trojan orbits, making it highly convenient as a base of operations for asteroid mining endeavors.Surface
The dwarf planet itself is rather nondescript in appearance, with a random and more or less even distribution of impact craters across its surface. The poles of Ceres have slightly rougher terrain, whereas the equatorial regions tend to be more level. One of this world's most notable features is Ahuna Mons, a titanic, extinct cryovolcano located just east of Uhola Catenae. The planet's largest settlement, Proserpina, sprawls across the flat expanse of the Kerwan impact basin. The majority of Ceres’ 18 million people live there, in an urban space 4 times bigger than modern Beijing and almost as large as the island of Ireland.Habitation
Ceres has been the hub of the belt since human exploration of the region started in the late 21st century CE. Ceres of the 30th century CE is the capital of the United States of the Solar Belt, as both a vital industrial center and transit hub.Natural Resources
The crust of Ceres is largely composed of clays and other hydrated minerals, a significant portion of which is iron-rich and the rest of which is carbonaceous. This fortuitous combination has led to Ceres' renown as a reliable source of steel in the Sol system. Its vast subsurface reserves of water ice also allow for widespread habitation on and within the surface, in addition to their use as a source of fuel for the chemical rocket engines commonly used for inter-belt navigation.
Ceres from low orbit. Shown here is the capital megacity Proserpina, situated in Kerwan Basin. Off to the right is the smaller megacity Pomona, in Dantu Crater.
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