GC4342F RPSEC - Dwarf Planet Ceres (Traditional Cache) in South Carolina, United States created by Sought and Found

GC4342F ▼

A cache by Sought and Found Message this owner

Hidden : 2/27/2013

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Ruth Patrick Science Education Center Observatory
Our Solar System Series - Dwarf Planet Ceres

Ceres [seer-eez] is one of the Dwarf Planets, which includes Pluto. When Pluto's status was changed to Dwarf Planet, Ceres was added as another Dwarf Planet. This cache is part of the solar system cache series centered at University of South Carolina Aiken. In this solar system model, the 5-meter (16.4-feet) dome of the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center (RPSEC) Observatory represents the diameter of the Sun known as Sol.

The size of the image on the container and distance from the RPSEC Observatory are to scale. Look for the round observatory dome to the south-southeast (150°). That small dome in the distance is the size of the Sun and the little ball on the container is the size of Dwarf Planet Ceres. In space, there is enough gravity for Ceres to stay in orbit around the Sun. It is interesting to ponder that.

Ceres was discovered on January 1, 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi. He first thought that he had discovered a new comet. Later in 1801, astronomers realized that Ceres was in the area between Mars and Jupiter where another planet was expected to be. Ceres was listed as a planet from 1801 until the early 1850s, when a number of other objects were discovered in the same orbital area. At that time, Ceres was "demoted" and reclassified as an asteroid with many other objects that make up the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. In 2006, Ceres was reclassified again as a dwarf planet. So, Pluto was not the only "planet" that was reclassified because of the discovery of other similar objects in its neighborhood.

Ceres [seer-eez] Facts:

One of the Dwarf Planets that include Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Ceres contains one-forth of the mass found in the asteroid belt.
Distance from Sun: Average = 257 million mi.
Diameter = 592 mi. (952 km.) 1/4 the size of the Moon.
Length of year = 4.6 Earth years
Length of day = 9 hours.
Temperature: -212 C (-350 F) to -34 C (-29 F).

Ceres Distances with Sun Diameter = 5 m.
Diam cm	Diam in	Orbit km	Orbit mi	Orbit m	Orbit ft
.34	.13	1.487	.92	1,487	4,879

Be sure to obtain the code from the cache container in order to find the final Sun cache location.

First Day Found Logo All First Day Finders (FDF) receive a prize of two complementary planetarium tickets and a FDF Award Card. Visit http://rpsec.usca.edu/planetarium/ for schedule information. Put the Mercury listing http://coord.info/GC3HQQH on your watch list if you would like to have a few-day warning about the release of the next cache in the series.

Many Thanks to personnel at Trolley Run Station for granting permission for this cache. The people living in nearby homes do not know about the cache, so use appropriate precautions. If you encounter any concerned patrons, please contact the cache owner (CO).

This cache was released on my Dad's 75th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!