 Ceres appears to be differentiated into a rocky core and icy mantle , and may have a remnant internal ocean of liquid water under the layer of ice . The surface is probably a mixture of water ice and various hydrated minerals such as carbonates and clay . In January 2014 , emissions of water vapor were detected from several regions of Ceres . This was unexpected , because large bodies in the asteroid belt do not typically emit vapor , a hallmark of comets . 
