Ceres

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Ceres was the first object discovered in the asteroid belt. Sicilian astronomer Father Giuseppe Piazzi spotted the object in 1801. Piazzi was looking for suspected planets in the large gap between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. As more such objects were found in the same region, they became known as asteroids or minor planets. Ceres was initially classified as a planet and later classified as an asteroid. In recognition of its planet-like qualities, Ceres was designated a dwarf planet in 2006 along with Pluto and Eris. -[NASA]

Changing Data

Rises:

Sets:

Apparent Magnitude:

Illumination:

%

Size (")

Distance in light minutes:

Distance in miles:

0

Distance in AU:

Orbital Data

Rotational Period:

0.378

Orbital Period:

4.60

Perihelion:

3.810 * 10⁸ km

Aphelion:

4.464 * 10⁸ km

Epoch:

2011.08.27

Inclination:

10.59°

Semi-Major Axis:

4.137 * 10⁸ km

Orbit Circumference:

2.595 * 10⁹ km

Eccentricity:

0.079138251

Ascending Node:

80.37910°

Axial Tilt:

°

Albedo:

Color BV:

Color UV:

Equatorial Diameter:

9.520 * 10² km

Equatorial Circumference:

2.992 * 10³ km

Surface Area:

2.850 * 10⁶ km²

Surface Gravity:

0.28 m/s²

Surface Temperature:

Mass:

9.470 * 10²⁰ kg

Volume:

4.52331 * 10⁸ km³

Density:

2.09 g/cm³

Absolute Magnitude:

3.34