Ceres (pronounce /ˈsɪəriːz/, or as Latin: Cerēs), also designated 1 Ceres (see minor planet names), is the smallest identified dwarf planet in the Solar System and the only one in the asteroid belt. It was discovered on January 1, 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi, and is named after the Roman goddess Ceres—the goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and of motherly love.