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zuz
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Does Ceres ever transit Jupiter? And if it does, how large of a telescope would I need to see it?
I assume your viewpoint is from Earth.zuz said:Does Ceres ever transit Jupiter?
No, Ceres does not transit Jupiter. Ceres orbits the Sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, while Jupiter orbits much farther out. Their orbits do not align in such a way that Ceres would pass directly between Jupiter and the Sun.
Yes, Ceres can be seen from Jupiter, but it would appear as a very small, faint object in the sky due to the vast distance between them. Specialized telescopes would be required to observe Ceres from Jupiter.
Ceres and Jupiter align in the sky roughly once every 13 to 15 months, a phenomenon known as opposition. During this time, Ceres and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the sky as seen from Earth, but this is not a transit.
The closest distance between Ceres and Jupiter is about 3.5 astronomical units (AU), which is approximately 523 million kilometers. This occurs when both celestial bodies are on the same side of the Sun, but they never come close enough for a transit.
Ceres cannot transit Jupiter because their orbital paths around the Sun do not intersect. Ceres orbits within the asteroid belt, while Jupiter's orbit is much farther out. The vast distance and differing orbital planes prevent any possibility of a transit.