Thursday May 16, 2024

Ceres Stops Cruising (midnight to dawn)

On Thursday, May 16, the minor planet Ceres, the largest object in the main asteroid belt, will cease its regular eastward motion across the background stars of Sagittarius and commence a westerly retrograde loop that will last until in late August. After the magnitude 8.3 object, which is visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes, rises around 12:30 a.m. local time, it
can be located a fist's diameter to the left of Sagittarius' teapot asterism and less than a finger's width to the right (or 0.6 degrees to the celestial WSW) of the two medium-bright stars named 51 and 52 Sagittarii. After
tonight Ceres will begin to travel towards the teapot.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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