 Ceres ' oblateness is consistent with a differentiated body , a rocky core overlain with an icy mantle . This 100 @-@ kilometer @-@ thick mantle ( 23 % – 28 % of Ceres by mass ; 50 % by volume ) contains up to 200 million cubic kilometers of water , which would be more than the amount of fresh water on Earth . This result is supported by the observations made by the Keck telescope in 2002 and by evolutionary modeling . Also , some characteristics of its surface and history ( such as its distance from the Sun , which weakened solar radiation enough to allow some fairly low @-@ freezing @-@ point components to be incorporated during its formation ) , point to the presence of volatile materials in the interior of Ceres . It has been suggested that a remnant layer of liquid water may have survived to the present under a layer of ice . Measurements taken by Dawn confirm that Ceres is both differentiated and has a shape consistent with hydrostatic equilibrium , which makes Ceres the smallest object confirmed to be in hydrostatic equilibrium , being 600 km smaller and less than half the mass of Saturn 's moon Rhea , the next smallest such object . Modeling has suggested Ceres could have a small metallic core from partial differentiation of its rocky fraction . 
 Ceres <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>oblateness is consistent with a differentiated body , a rocky core overlain with an icy mantle . This 100 @-@ kilometer @-@ thick mantle ( 23 % – 28 % of Ceres by mass ; 50 % by volume ) <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>contains</mark></a> up to 200 million cubic kilometers of water , which would be more than the amount of fresh water on Earth . This result is supported by the observations made by the Keck telescope in 2002 and by evolutionary modeling . Also , some characteristics of its surface and history ( such as its distance from the Sun , which weakened solar radiation enough to allow some fairly low @-@ freezing @-@ point components to be incorporated during its formation ) , point to the presence of volatile materials in the interior of Ceres . It <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>has</mark></a> been suggested that a remnant layer of liquid water may <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>have</mark></a> survived to the present under a layer of ice . Measurements taken by Dawn confirm that Ceres is both differentiated and <a href='got' title='5'><mark>has</mark></a> a shape consistent with hydrostatic equilibrium , which <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>makes</mark></a> Ceres the smallest object confirmed to be in hydrostatic equilibrium , being 600 km smaller and less than half the mass of Saturn <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>moon Rhea , the next smallest such object . Modeling <a href='been_done' title='8'><mark>has</mark></a> suggested Ceres could have a small metallic core from partial differentiation of its rocky fraction . 
Ceres  oblateness is consistent with a differentiated body , a rocky core overlain with an icy mantle . dis 100 @-@ kilometer @-@ thick mantle ( 23 % – 28 % of Ceres by mass ; 50 % by volume ) contain up to 200 million cubic kilometers of water , which would b more than da amount of fresh water on Earth . Tdisresult is supported by tdaobservations made by thdaeck telescope in 2002 and by evolutionary modeling . Also , some characteristics of its surface and history ( such as its distance from the Sun , which weakened solar radiation enough to allow sum fairly low @-@ freezing @-@ point components to bbincorporated during its formation ) , point to the presence of volatile materials in the interior of Ceres . It done been suggested that a remnant layer of liquid water may done survived to the present under a layer of ice . Measurements taken by Dawn confirm that Ceres is both differentiated and got a shape consistent w/ hydrostatic equilibrium , which make Ceres thedaallest object confirmed to bebn hydrostatic equilibrium , being 600 km smaller and less than half the mass of Saturn  moon Rhea , the nxt smallest such object . Modeling done suggested Ceres could have a small metallic core from partial differentiation of its rocky fraction .