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Dwarf planet Ceres reaches opposition this month and by chance it does so while tracking across the Hyades open cluster in Taurus, the Bull. Shining at seventh magnitude, Ceres isn\u2019t difficult to see, but normally you do need a few star-hopping skills to locate it. Within the Hyades, this isn\u2019t the case \u2013 assuming you can find the Hyades of course! To find Ceres, follow the line of Orion\u2019s Belt northwest to arrive at orange Aldebaran (Alpha (\u03b1 Tauri). The Hyades is the sideways V-shaped pattern next to Aldebaran, which is visible to the naked eye and easy to find from the bright star.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Aldebaran marks the start point for Ceres\u2019s track across the cluster, the dwarf planet being located just to the east-southeast of the star at the start of the month. It then moves to pass 10 arcminutes south of Aldebaran on the morning of 3 November. Its subsequent passage takes Ceres through the main V-shape of the Hyades, before eventually leaving the pattern on 20 November. On 30 November, Ceres sits 2.3\u02da northwest of Gamma (\u03b3) Tauri, the star that marks the bottom point of the \u2018V\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n\n If you have equipment that can photograph at least down to mag. +8.0, and as long as you can image the main V-shape of the cluster in a single go, you should be able to record Ceres. Your setup doesn\u2019t need to be complex and recording stars down to mag. +8.0 with modern cameras isn\u2019t difficult.<\/p>\n\n A tracking mount will make the job easier, but it\u2019s not essential. If you\u2019re using a static mounted camera (on a tripod, for example) use the 500 Rule to work out the longest exposure you can make: it\u2019s 500 divided by the focal length in millimetres of the lens you\u2019re using. This assumes you\u2019re using a full-format 35mm sensor. If you\u2019re using a camera with a slightly smaller APS-C-type sensor, you\u2019ll need to multiply your lens\u2019s focal length by the correction factor, which is typically 1.6x.<\/p>\n\n If you use a lens with a focal length of 500mm, the longest exposure you can take without stars starting to trail will be: 500 <\/em>\u00f7 <\/em>500 <\/em>= <\/em>1 <\/em>second. <\/em>If you\u2019re using a 50mm lens, you\u2019ve got longer: 500 <\/em>\u00f7 <\/em>50 <\/em>= <\/em>10 <\/em>seconds. <\/em>If you\u2019re using a 110mm lens attached to an APS-C camera with a 1.6x frame correction value, your longest exposure time is: 500 <\/em>\u00f7 <\/em>(1.6 <\/em>x <\/em>110) <\/em>= <\/em>2.8 <\/em>seconds. <\/em><\/p>\n\n Using a static, non-tracking, mount all you need to do is adjust your camera and lens settings to record stars down to at least mag. +8.0, in exposures shorter than that given by the 500 Rule. Achieve this, and dwarf planet Ceres will be perfectly placed for you to photograph throughout November.<\/p>\n\n Recommended equipment: DSLR or equivalent, a lens, polar-aligned tracking mount (optional)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n A Hyades photo looks best if the cluster can \u2018breathe\u2019, so frame it with plenty of sky. A field of view measuring 12 x 8\u00b0 allows the full month\u2019s track with a decent sky margin to be recorded. A 170mm or shorter focal-length lens on a 35mm sensor achieves this. For APS-C sensors, use 110mm or shorter for a similar result.<\/p>\n\n Set the lens to manual. Select the lowest f\/number and close by a stop or two to avoid frame edge distortions. Set the camera to \u2018Manual\u2019 mode. If you are using a tracking mount use a mid to low ISO setting, or select a mid ISO value for a fixed mount. A remote shutter release will help to stop any camera shake.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Focus as accurately as possible. The bright star Aldebaran will be good for this and it should show up clearly if your camera has a \u2018Live View\u2019 option. If not, you\u2019ll need to focus as accurately as possible through the viewfinder. If you\u2019re struggling with Aldebaran, try focusing on bright Jupiter earlier in the evening.<\/p>\n\n Once you\u2019ve set the camera and lens, take a test exposure. If you have a static platform, use the 500 Rule to determine the longest non-trailed exposure (as described opposite). Examine the result and look for the mag. +8.0 stars we\u2019ve circled here. If you can see them, then you are good to go for imaging Ceres.<\/p>\n\n If you\u2019re using a tracking mount, your exposure time is limited by the accuracy of the mount\u2019s drive, polar alignment and the sky\u2019s brightness. A lower ISO will help bring out the redder hues of the ancient Hyades stars. Typically, bracketing your exposures to 30\u201d, 60\u201d and 90\u201d will give you a good range of results to pick from.<\/p>\n\n Try to image the Hyades on as many clear nights as possible using the same setup. Keeping a similar orientation makes life a lot easier. Load your results into a layer-based editor, aligning the stars between layers. Flicking between layers will reveal Ceres\u2019s movement as it tracks in front of the Hyades stars.<\/p>\n\n Pete Lawrence is an expert astro imager and a presenter on The Sky at Night<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nOn the trail of Ceres<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
\n\nStep by step<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
STEP 1<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nSTEP 2<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nSTEP 3<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nSTEP 4<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nSTEP 5<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nSTEP 6<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
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