See Ceres at opposition

The brightest dwarf planet visits galaxies in Virgo during its upcoming apparition.

by Bob King

Following 1 Ceres is going to be a lot of fun this month. It reaches opposition on March 21 in Coma Berenices at magnitude 6.9 — its brightest apparition in five years. From the very darkest skies, experienced observers might be able to glimpse the tiny world naked eye. On opposition day, Ceres lies 239.5 million kilometres from Earth. It won't be as bright or as close again until 2032. Most of us will find binoculars necessary for keeping an eye on this dwarf-planet/asteroid as it arcs through the northern half of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster, the richest and brightest such collection in the sky. The diagram shows Ceres’ path from March 1 to April 5. To find it as March begins, start at 2.8-magnitude Epsilon (ε) Virginis and slide 5.1° west…

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Australian Sky & Telescope (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2023

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