Ceres is a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The IAU has adopted two themes for naming surface features on Ceres: agricultural deities for craters and agricultural festivals for everything else.[1]
As of 2020, the IAU has approved names for 151 geological features on Ceres: craters, montes, catenae, rupēs, plana, tholi, planitiae, fossae and sulci.[2][3] In July 2018, NASA released a comparison of physical features found on Ceres with similar ones present on Earth.[4]
Piazzi, named after Giuseppe Piazzi, the discoverer of Ceres, is a dark region southwest of Dantu crater in ground-based images that was named before Dawn arrived at Ceres.[5]
Samhain, the Gaelic festival at the end of the harvest season, which was observed in Ireland and Scotland during seven days in October and November, nearly halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice[10]
Ceres is saturated with impact craters. Many have a central pit or bright spot.
In the first batch of 17 names approved by the IAU, craters north of 20° north latitude had names beginning with A–G (with Asari being the furthest north), those between 20° north and south latitude beginning with H–R, and those further south beginning with S–Z (with Zadeni being the furthest south).
Jarovit (Yarovit), proto-Slavic god of fertility and harvest, who comes down to the Underworld after each harvest and returns each spring[65] (Close-up Image-1; Closeup Image-2)
66
Juling
Orang Asli (formerly also called Sakai people, now a term for separate and distinct group)/ (Malaysia) spirit of the crops[66] (Close-up Image)
Kirnis, Lithuanian spirit and guardian of cherry trees[74] (in the image at right, Kirnis is near the terminator at 4 o'clock from the bright spots) (Close-up Image-1; Close-up Image-2)
115
Kokopelli
Pueblo fertility deity who presides over agriculture[75]
Ngaing (New Guinea) goddess of taro, sugar cane and other foods[83] (Close-up Image)
103
Megwomets
Yurok (California) dwarf god of acorns and distributor of vegetal abundance[84]
Messor
Messor, helper god of Ceres and Roman god of harvesting, of cutting of the grain[85] (Close-up Image-1; Close-up Image-2; Close-up Image-3)
40
Mlezi
Name of god Tilo as "Food-Giver" (Tonga tribes of Malawi and Zambia)[86]
41.5
Mondamin
Ojibwe corn (maize) god (Lake Superior area, Canada and the United States)[87] (Close-up Image-1; Close-up Image-2; Close-up Image-3; Close-up Image-4; Close-up Image-5)
Ahuna, the Sumi (Nagaland, northeast India) traditional post-harvest festival that signifies the celebration of the season's harvest's thanksgiving[125] (Close-up Image)
20
Liberalia Mons /lɪbərˈeɪliə/
Liberalia, ancient Roman festival to honour Liber and Libera, deities of the vine, worshipped, along with Ceres as fertility gods, held on 17 March[126]
Hopi (southwestern United States) ritual ending the kachina (spiritual beings) season, celebrating the kachinas' return to their spiritual home in July and their part in the blossoming of plant life[130] (Related Image)
45
Sulciedit
Feature
Named after
Diameter (km)
Image
Nar Sulcus
Azerbaijani festival of the pomegranate harvest, held October–November in Goychay, the centre of pomegranate cultivation in the country[131]
63
Tholiedit
Feature
Named after
Diameter (km)
Image
Aymuray Tholi
Quechua (Peru) harvest festival in May, meaning 'the song of the harvest'[132]
81
Bagach Tholus
Bagach(Багач), Belarusian harvest festival held on the 21st of September[133]
4.3
Cerealia Tholus
Cerealia,the major festival in Ancient Rome to celebrate the grain goddess Ceres (8 days in mid- to late-April)[134]