Ceres is the smallest identified dwarf planet in the Solar System and
the only one in the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 1 January 1801,
by Giuseppe Piazzi, and for half a century was classified as the eighth
planet. It is named after Ceres, a Roman goddess. With a diameter of
about 950 km (590 miles), Ceres is the largest and most massive body in
the asteroid belt and contains about a third of the belt's total mass.
It is spheroidal and its surface probably consists of a mixture of water
ice and various hydrated minerals like carbonates and clays. Ceres
appears to be differentiated into a rocky core and icy mantle, with
brines reaching the surface. From the Earth, the apparent magnitude of
Ceres ranges from 6.7 to 9.3; at its brightest it is generally too dim
to be seen with the naked eye. On 27 September 2007, NASA launched the
space probe Dawn to explore the asteroid Vesta from 2011 to 2012, and
Ceres from 2015 to 2018. (This article is part of a featured topic:
Solar System.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Solar_System>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1739:
War of Jenkins' Ear: A British naval force arrived at the
settlement of Portobello in the Spanish Main, capturing it the next day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Porto_Bello_%281739%29>
1902:
While discussing how to promote the newspaper L'Auto, sports
journalist Géo Lefèvre came up with the idea of holding a cycling race
that later became known as the Tour de France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France>
1979:
A group of armed insurgents attacked and took over the Masjid
al-Haram in Mecca, declaring that one of their leaders was the Mahdi,
the prophesied redeemer of Islam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_seizure>
1991:
First Nagorno-Karabakh War: An Azerbaijani military helicopter
carrying a peacekeeping mission team was shot down in Nagorno-Karabakh,
disrupting ongoing peace talks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Azerbaijani_Mil_Mi-8_shootdown>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
naughty step:
1. A place such as a particular step on a staircase or a stool, where a
child is sent to sit in silence as a punishment.
2. (figuratively) A state of disgrace, exclusion from a group, or
punishment as a result of a misdemeanour.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/naughty_step>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Democracy begins and will be preserved in we, the people's,
habits of heart, in our character: optimism that is tested yet endures,
courage that digs deep when we need it, empathy that fuels democracy,
the willingness to see each other not as enemies but as fellow
Americans. Look, our democracy is imperfect. It always has been. … But
history and common sense tell us that opportunity, liberty, and justice
for all are most likely to come to pass in a democracy.
--Joe Biden
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden>
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