Posted on 06/26/2014 7:28:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin
In April, we reported that Ceres and Vesta, the largest and brightest asteroids respectively, were speeding through Virgo in tandem. Since then both have faded, but the best is yet to come. Converging closer by the day, on July 5, the two will make rare close pass of each other when theyll be separated by just 10 minutes of arc or the thickness of a fat crescent moon.
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Both asteroids are still within range of ordinary 35mm and larger binoculars; Vesta is easy at magnitude +7 while Ceres still manages a respectable +8.3. From an outer suburban or rural site, you can watch them draw together in the coming two weeks as if on a collision course. They wont crash anytime soon. We merely see the two bodies along the same line of sight. Vestas closer to Earth at 164 million miles (264 million km) and moves more quickly across the sky compared to Ceres, which orbits 51 million miles (82 million km) farther out.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
Ceres and Vesta lie near an easy naked eye star, Zeta Virginis, which forms an isosceles triangle right now with Mars and Spica. The map shows the sky around 10 p.m. local time tonight facing southwest. Stellarium
Looking forward to getting a close up look at Ceres when the Dawn spacecraft arrives.
I’ll have to watch for it.
Looks like it might have ice?
Ice or its a death star.
This sounds Ceres.
Actually lots of cool space stuff coming over the next couple of years.
I believe Dawn will arrive at Ceres later this year. New Horizons will make its closest pass by Pluto around July 6th next summer. Juno will arrive at Saturn in July of 2016.
It’s a trap!
Vey!
Thanks martin_fierro, extra to APoD.
there could be a hugh collision.
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