Dwarf planet Ceres is moving through the constellation Leo this month, appearing like a mag. +8.8 star but moving over time.
The best time to see Ceres in Leo will be 1 - 10 November.
On the morning of 1 November at around 03:00 UT it sits 19 arcminutes south of the mag. +6.3 star HIP 54688.
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![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/48/2022/10/ceres-chart-november-2022-8113884.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
From here it makes its way east-southeast through Leo, toward, through and beyond the famous Leo Triplet, a collection of three distinctive galaxies – mag. +9.6 M65, mag. +9.7 M66 and mag. +10.4 NGC 3628 – near the Lion’s back leg.
At 03:00 UT on the morning of 3 November, Ceres sits 1.5° south of Chertan (Theta (θ) Leonis) and 1.2° west-northwest of the Triplet, moving toward the Triplet.
On the morning of 6 November it begins its passage between the northern member NGC 3628 and the southern pair M65 and M66.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/48/2019/02/Leo-Triplet-LRGB-UnSigned-3000px-ce73513-e1667209400597.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
NGC 3628 is known as the Hamburger Galaxy, its distinctive almost rectangular appearance, with a dark dust lane running along its centre, appearing like the popular fast food seen side-on.
The passage is brief, Ceres taking a day to cross the apparent width of NGC 3628.
On 7 November at 03:00 UT, it lies around 9 arcminutes from the core of this galaxy.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/48/2021/04/09.MarkShelton_NGC3628_Hamburger-c1e068b.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
A view of the general area on the morning of 8 November shows Ceres just east of the Triplet and now east-southeast of NGC 3628.
At 03:00 UT, it appears separated from NGC 3628 by about the same distance as that between M65 and M66.
Ceres continues east-southeast, a bright Moon now interfering with the view.
On 21 November, Ceres lies 40 arcminutes north of mag. +11.4 galaxy NGC 3810.
This guide originally appeared in the November 2022 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.