# A closer look at Ceres

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-closer-look-at-ceres/710388>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 20, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-closer-look-at-ceres/710388 "2015-01-20T16:03:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-closer-look-at-ceres/710388/41 "2015-03-08T00:56:14Z")

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> [@Honey](#):
>
> I absolutely love this quote from your link:
> 
> “Ceres reached out and tenderly took the newcomer from Earth into its permanent gravitational embrace.”  
> Love it. 🙂

F=G_M1_M2/r^2

:rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-closer-look-at-ceres/710388/42 "2015-03-08T01:50:50Z")

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> [@hotflungwok](#):
>
> Have they figured out what they white spot is yet?

It’s a lost Chinese fishing fleet.

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-closer-look-at-ceres/710388/43 "2015-03-08T02:43:43Z")

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Even when the spots are on the terminator, they’re surprisingly bright:

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_cuH_kW8AAH6vl.jpg) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_cuH_kW8AAH6vl.jpg)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_cuInpWcAEuKH8.jpg) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_cuInpWcAEuKH8.jpg)

I keep reading that the spots aren’t that bright absolutely, it’s an artifact of the picture contrast (Ceres evidently is quite dark), but damn that’s looking strange. And now I’m told we won’t get any new pictures until April because Ceres will be behind the sun until then.

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**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-closer-look-at-ceres/710388/44 "2015-03-08T02:53:00Z")

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And when it comes around the probe will be gone, and there will be _three_ white dots on Ceres…

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