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→Discovery
== Discovery ==
== Discovery ==
Piazzi was searching for the "missing planet" that, according to [[Bode's law]], should exist between [[Mars]] and [[Jupiter]]. Bode's law predicted an object having a semi-major axis of 2.8 AU, remarkably close to the actual semi-major axis of Ceres.
Piazzi was searching for the "missing planet" that, according to [[Titius-Bode law|Bode's law]], should exist between [[Mars]] and [[Jupiter]]. Bode's law predicted an object having a semi-major axis of 2.8 AU, remarkably close to the actual semi-major axis of Ceres.
When Piazzi first observed Ceres, he thought he was looking at a [[comet]]. But comets normally move much faster than Ceres does, a fact Piazzi appreciated. He observed Ceres 24 times and reported his discoveries to Bode and other astronomers.
When Piazzi first observed Ceres, he thought he was looking at a [[comet]]. But comets normally move much faster than Ceres does, a fact Piazzi appreciated. He observed Ceres 24 times and reported his discoveries to Bode and other astronomers.