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Sky-Tonight.com / Asteroids / 1 Ceres
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Observation Settings

Or select it on the map:
This Earth map fragment is intended to illustrate celestial motion across the sky, emphasizing both bearing and elevational perspectives. The map's center point corresponds to the transit, showcasing celestial objects at their highest point, while elevation gradually decreases towards the map edges. This dynamic representation offers insights into the changing positions of celestial bodies with a focus on their bearing and elevational trajectories.
Your location: Santa Clara, United States
Timezone:
Latitude:
37.3541
Longitude:
-121.955

Asteroid Ceres Observation Details

Ceres

Ceres Daily Motion


1 Ceres will become visible in August, 9. After being too close to the Sun to observe, it will reappear in the night sky. Starting from August, 9, 1 Ceres can be seen again, providing a good opportunity for observation.

Ceres Visibility on August 04

1 Ceres is visible in the early morning sky until sunrise

Ceres Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Ceres transit08:0575°
Ceres set15:15
Astrosession begin19:54-31°
Moon Rise, 72.5% illuminated 20:44-30°
Ceres rise00:51
Astrosession end02:3419°
Twighlight end03:1127°
Civil sunrise03:4633°
Sunrise04:1639°
Moon Set10:2855°

Track Ceres Position Throughout the Night

← Tue, 4 August 2026 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe Ceres changing position in the night sky.

Ceres Description

Ceres, designated as 1 Ceres, is a main-belt asteroid, located between Mars and Jupiter in the solar system. With a diameter of 940 km, 1 Ceres completes its orbit around the Sun in 4.6 years. At the moment, 1 Ceres is 3.343 AU (500,173,001 km) from Earth, and it is located in the constellation Taurus.

Current position of Ceres in Solar System

Earth Ceres
DateTue, 4 August 2026
Distance from Earth to Ceres3.34092 AU (499,794,518km)
Elongation45°
Angular diameter"
Magnitude9
This interactive projection shows the current positions of Ceres, Earth, and the Sun in the Solar System. By sliding the image left or right, you can change the day of the year and see how Ceres and Earth move along their orbits around the Sun.

Finder Chart for Ceres

Double-click to unlock the map.
Object name1 Ceres
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
1 Ceres coordinates5.76601, 22.01944
Center coordinates5.76601, 22.01944

Annual motion of Ceres

Time
DateTue, 4 August 2026
Twighlight start19:49
Twighlight end02:27
Twighlight duration7h 38m
Rise00:51
Set15:13
Elevation at transit75°
Transit time08:02
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 05h 47m 35s", Dec: 22° 03' 25s
Magnitude9
ConstellationTaurus
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a Ceres, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Ceres is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit. You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of 1 Ceres

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension5.76601°
Declination22.01944°
Magnitude9
ConstellationTaurus
Elevation14.7°
Azimuth286.7°

Physical properties

Mean radius in kilometres476.2
Equatorial radius in kilometres487
Polar radius in kilometres455
Boby mass in kg9.393E+20
Body volume in km34210000000
Body density in g.cm32.161
Surface gravity in m.s-20.28
Escape speed in m.s-1510
Axial tilt3
Mean temperature in K168

Orbital Parameters

Sideral orbital time for body around another one (the Sun or a planet) in earth day1681.63
Sideral rotation, necessary time to turn around itself, in hour9.07

Data Acknowledgment

Our solar system data—including planetary physical and orbital parameters—comes from the Solar System OpenData API , maintained by Le Système Solaire. We thank Christophe and the contributors for making this open data available.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for providing essential data on asteroids and comets through their Small-Body Database (SBDB) and Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). Their continuous efforts in tracking and cataloging these celestial bodies make it possible to offer accurate and up-to-date information on their positions, orbits, and physical characteristics.