Question

Which of the following statements best describes the size of the largest asteroid, Ceres?

A) Ceres is smaller than Pluto,
B) Ceres is larger than Earth's moon,
C) Ceres is the smallest asteroid,
D) Ceres is similar in size to Mars

Answer 1

The best description of the largest asteroid, Ceres, is that it is smaller than Pluto. It has a diameter just under 1000 kilometers and is smaller than both Earth's moon and Mars.

Therefore the correct answer is option A. Ceres is smaller than Pluto,

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement that best describes the size of the largest asteroid, Ceres, is A) Ceres is smaller than Pluto. Ceres has a diameter just less than 1000 kilometers, making it significantly smaller than Earth's moon and much smaller than Mars.

Ceres is often discussed along with the asteroids despite its reclassification as a dwarf planet, similar to Pluto. While formerly considered a planet upon discovery, it is now known that Ceres is part of a belt of similar objects and is the largest within the asteroid category, followed by other large asteroids like Pallas and Vesta.