paper

A Search for Satellite around Ceres

arXiv:1104.2028 · doi:10.1088/0004-6256/141/6/197

Abstract

We conducted a satellite search around the dwarf planet 1 Ceres using Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based Palomar data. No candidate objects were found orbiting Ceres in its entire stability region down to ~500km from the surface of Ceres. Assuming a satellite would have the same albedo as Ceres, which has a visual geometric albedo of 0.07-0.10, our detection limit is sensitive to satellites larger than 1-2 km in diameter.

Accepted for publication in AJ