Astroblog

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Minor Planet (1) Ceres close to Galaxy M100 26-27 March


Location of Minor planet (1) Ceres at 00:10 am ACDST on Sunday 26 March as seen from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)	Telescopic view of Minor planet (1) Ceres and galaxy M100 at 00:10 am ACDST on Sunday 26 March as seen from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)

Minor planet Ceres is at opposition at the moment, and is currently around magnitude 7, easily visible in binoculars even under suburban skies. Ceres is currently beyween Beta (β) Leonis (Denebola) and epsilon (ε) Virginis (Vindemiatrix). Over the next few days it is in an easily recognised cluster of dim stars, and Ceres can be seen moving from night to night.

On the late evening of the 25th, Early morning of the 26th Ceres is next to the spiral galaxy M100. At magnitude 9 it is too fail to be picked up clearly without a telescope, but is an interesting telephotography challenge. By the late evening 26th early morning 27th Ceres is n the other side of M100.


Chart suitable for black and white printing to help locate Ceres. Chart is at 00:10 am ACDST. Note that the chart locations are out by 1 day fro come reason (even with a fresh Ceres download) so the 27th is in fact the 26th, the circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. (click to embiggen and print)	Binocular chart suitable for black and white printing to help locate Ceres. Chart is at 00:10 am ACDST. Note that the chart locations are out by 1 day fro come reason (even with a fresh Ceres download) so the 27th is in fact the 26th, the circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. (click to embiggen and print)

Labels: astrophotography, binocular, Ceres, Opposition, telescope

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 1:35 am 0 comments

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Opposition of Ceres Friday 28 August 2020


Location of Ceres as seen looking east from Adelaide at 19:17 ACST (90 minutes after sunset) on Friday 28 August, when it is at opposition. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen)	Approximate view in 10x50 binoculars at the same time, use the bright star Fomalhaut, the brightest star above the eastern horizon at this time, as your guide. (click to embiggen)

Ceres is the second largest dwarf planet after Pluto and the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system. It comes to opposition, when it is biggest and brightest, on Friday August 28. It won't be spectacular at magnitude 7.7 you will need good binoculars to see it as a point of light and you will need to watch it move over several days to see it move to be sure you have seen it. But it will be cool to say you have seen a water world in the skies.

Black and white spotters map suitable for printing, the circle is the approximate field of view of 10x50 binoculars. the orientation is the same as in the binocular chart above, in that chart c2 Aqr is the same as 88 Aquarii. Click to embiggen and print

Labels: Asteroid, binocular, Ceres, Dwarf Planet

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 10:15 pm 0 comments

Friday, May 24, 2019

Opposition of Ceres, 29 May 2019

Sky at 22:00 ACST on Saturday, May 25 looking east as seen from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen esewhere in Australia at and equivalent local time (click to embiggen). Ceres is below Antares and bright enough to be easily seen in binoculars. Jupiter is high above the eastern horizon with Saturn below. The left upper insert inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time, the left lower insert that of Saturn.

Black and white binocular chart suitable for printing (click to embiggen and print).

The large circle represents the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. The small that of a 4" Newtonian telescope with a 24 mm eyepiece. Use the horizon charts for orientation first.

Ceres is at Opposition on the 29th of May. Currently around magnitude 7, it is readily visible in binoculars. Ceres is relatively easy to find, below below and to the north of Antares and above Jupiter. Ceres can be seen to move from night to night, brightening gradually.

Ceres is easy to spot with a bit of start hopping. Over the next few days it is between Chi (ꭕ) and Phi (ᶲ) Ophiuchi. While close to Antares, it is better to locate Acrab (ß1 Scorpii) the second brightest star just up from Antares, which forms a distinctive triangle with the close pair Omega (⍵) Scorpii and Jabbah (𝜈 Scorpii).

If you fool the line formed by Acab and Jabbah, the next bright star you come to is Chi (ꭕ) Ophiuchi, with Phi (ᶲ) Ophiuchi below that. Ceres is brightest object between the pair, and can be seen to move over the coming days.


Sky at 22:00 ACST on Saturday, May 25 looking east as seen from Adelaide. This is a higer magnification spotters map to find the dwarf planet Ceres.	Sky at 22:00 ACST on Saturday, May 29 looking east as seen from Adelaide. This is a higer magnification spotters map to find the dwarf planet Ceres.