The size, shape, density, and Albedo of Ceres from its occultation of BD+8°471

Abstract The occultation of BD+8°471 by Ceres on 13 November 1984 was observed photoelectrically at 13 sites in Mexico, Florida, and the Caribbean. These observations indicate that Ceres is an oblate spheroid having an equatorial radius of 479.6±2.4 km and a polar radius of 453.4±4.5 km. The mean density of this minor planet is 2.7 g/cm 3 ±5%, and its visual geometric albedo is 0.073. While the surface appears globally to be in hydrostatic equilibrium, firm evidence of real limb irregularities is seen in the data.