Thursday January 5th the just past first quarter Moon, a waxing gibbous Moon, is close to the outer planet Uranus, and also two of the Dwarf Planets. But close only in the sense that the three are in the same direction, or line of sight. Uranus as the next-to-last outermost of the 8 planets is 19.8 Au and has an apparent magnitude of 5.8. Ceres and Eris, while both are Dwarf Planets, are at very nearly the opposite ends of the solar system. Ceres is within the asteroid belts at a distance of 2.5 AU and has an apparent magnitude of 7.64. Eris, on the other hand is 96 AU from the Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 18.6.
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
Since January 1st the crescent Moon has been provide us with plenty of observing and photographing opportunity with the planets, and now dwarf planets. Thanks for the heads up on this one.
LikeLiked by 1 person