NASA Missions May Re-elevate Pluto and Ceres From Dwarf Planets to Full-On Planet Status

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will arrive at this dwarf planet on March 6, 2015.

An artist’s impression of the Dawn spacecraft traveling in the asteroid belt with its target Ceres on the right. JPL

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will arrive at this dwarf planet on March 6, 2015.

Pluto is the largest object in the Kuiper belt, and NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will arrive at this dwarf planet on July 15, 2015.

Launch of NASA's Dawn spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, September 27, 2007. Get ready, Ceres! NASA