1 Ceres


Ceres, also designated 1 Ceres, is the smallest dwarf planet in the Solar System and the only one located in the main asteroid belt. With a diameter of about 950 km, Ceres is by far the largest and most massive body in the asteroid belt, and contains approximately a third of the belt's total mass. Recent observations have revealed that it is spherical, unlike the irregular shapes of smaller bodies with less gravity. (Wikipedia) The name is derived from the Roman goddess Ceres - the goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and of motherly love. (Wikipedia)

First sighting:

Obs. place: Padasjoki, Finland
Date: 13./14.1.2004, 23.16
Bortle class: Class 3 (rural sky)
NE Lim.mag: ~6.8m (south)
Background sky: 2
Seeing: 1-2
Transparency: 1-2
Aurora activity: None
Weather: Cold and cool.

Visuality: 5 (only visible from time to time)

Description: Unfortunately first confirmed with 8x30 binoculars. Extremely difficult, but suspected a few times W from Pollux - visible? Saturn interferes with the observation. Two other faint stars nearby. Magnitude ~6.8.
Notes: The sketch is a re-creation of the original sketch in the logbook.
1 Ceres with naked eye

Second sighting:

Obs. place: Padasjoki, Finland
Date: 21./22.2.2009, ~23.30
Bortle class: Class 3 (rural sky)
NE Lim.mag: ~6.9m (NE)
Background sky: 2
Seeing: 2
Transparency: 2
Aurora activity: None
Weather: Thin clouds...

Visuality: 5 (only visible from time to time)

Description: Extremely faint. Saturn at 0.6 magnitude. Comet C2007 N3 Lulin visible in Virgo, roughly at magnitude 5.6.
1 Ceres with naked eye