4 Vesta

Discovery
Discovered by:	Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers
Discovery date:	March 29, 1807
Alternative names:	none
Minor planet category:	Main belt (Vesta family)
Orbital characteristics
Epoch November 26, 2005 (JD 2453700.5)
Aphelion distance:	384.72 Gm (2.572 AU)
Perihelion distance:	321.82 Gm (2.151 AU)
Semi-major axis:	353.268 Gm (2.361 AU)
Eccentricity:	0.08902
Orbital period:	1325.46 d (3.63 a)
Avg. orbital speed:	19.34 km/s
Mean anomaly:	205.652°
Inclination:	7.133°
Longitude of ascending node:	103.926°
Argument of perihelion:	150.297°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions:	578×560×458 km[1]
Mass:	2.7×1020 kg[2]
Mean density:	3.4 g/cm³
Equatorial surface gravity:	0.22 m/s²
Escape velocity:	0.35 km/s
Rotation period:	0.2226 d
Albedo:	0.423[3]
Temperature:	min: 85 K (-188° C) max: 255 K (-18 °C)[4]
Spectral type:	V-type asteroid
Absolute magnitude:	3.20

4 Vesta (IPA: [ˈvɛstə]) is the second most massive object in the asteroid belt, with a mean diameter of about 530 km (around 330 miles) and an estimated mass 9% the mass of the entire asteroid belt. Its size and unusually bright surface make Vesta the brightest asteroid, and the only one ever visible to the naked eye from Earth besides Ceres, which is visible under exceptional viewing conditions. Due to the availability of rock samples in the form of the HED meteorites, it has also been the most studied. Image File history File links Vesta_symbol. ... Image File history File links Vesta-HST.jpg Description: A NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of the asteroid Vesta, taken in May 1996 when the asteroid was 175 million kilometers from Earth. ... Categories: Astronomers stubs | 1758 births | 1840 deaths | German astronomers | German physicists | Lists of asteroids ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in leap years). ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Provisional designation of in astronomy is the naming convention applied to astronomical objects immediately following their discovery. ... The asteroid belt is a region of the solar system falling roughly between the planets Mars and Jupiter where the greatest concentration of asteroid orbits can be found. ... Vesta family is a family of asteroids that are believed to have originated from asteroid 4 Vesta. ... In physics, an orbit is the path that an object makes, around another object, whilst under the influence of a source of centripetal force, such as gravity. ... In astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time for which celestial coordinates or orbital elements are specified. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Julian day or Julian day number (JDN) is the number of days that have elapsed since 12 noon Greenwich Mean Time (UT or TT) on Monday, January 1, 4713 BC (in the proleptic Julian calendar; or November 24, 4714 BC in the proleptic Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... The semi-major axis of an ellipse In geometry, the term semi-major axis (also semimajor axis) is used to describe the dimensions of ellipses and hyperbolae. ... Look up giga- in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... The astronomical unit (AU or au or a. ... In astrodynamics, under standard assumptions any orbit must be of conic section shape. ... The orbital period is the time it takes a planet (or another object) to make one full orbit. ... Water, Rabbit, and Deer: three of the 20 day symbols in the Aztec calendar, from the Aztec Sun Stone. ... In astronomy, a Julian year is a unit of time defined as exactly 365. ... The orbital speed of a body, generally a planet, a natural satellite, an artificial satellite, or a multiple star, is the speed at which it orbits around the barycenter of a system, usually around a more massive body. ... Kilo (symbol: k) is a prefix in the SI system denoting 103 or 1000. ... Look up second in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In the study of orbital dynamics the mean anomaly is a measure of time, specific to the orbiting body p, which is a multiple of 2π radians at and only at periapsis. ... Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction. ... A degree (in full, a degree of arc, arc degree, or arcdegree), usually symbolized °, is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1／360 of a full rotation. ... The Longitude of the ascending node () is one of the orbital elements used to specify the orbit of an object in space. ... The argument of the perihelion is one of the orbital elements describing the orbit of a planet. ... Unsolved problems in physics: What causes anything to have mass? Mass is a property of a physical object that quantifies the amount of matter and energy it is equivalent to. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... In physics, Density is defined as mass m per unit volume V. Mathematically, it is expressed as where, in SI units: ρ (rho) is the density of the substance, measured in kg m-3 m is the mass of the substance, measured in kg v is the volume of the substance... A cubic centimetre (cm3) is an SI derived unit of volume, equal to the volume of a cube with side length of 1 centi metre. ... The surface gravity of a Killing horizon is the acceleration, as exerted at infinity, needed to keep an object at the horizon. ... Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on mission STS-71 In physics, for a given gravitational field and a given position, the escape velocity is the minimum speed an object without propulsion, at that position, needs to have to move away indefinitely from the source of the field, as opposed to falling... In astronomy, a rotation period is the time an astronomical object takes to complete one revolution around its rotation axis. ... Albedo is a ratio of scattered to incident electromagnetic radiation power. ... Fig. ... The Kelvin scale is a thermodynamic (absolute) temperature scale where absolute zero—the lowest possible temperature where nothing could be colder and no heat energy remains in a substance—is defined as zero kelvin (0 K). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... In astronomy, absolute magnitude is the apparent magnitude, m, an object would have if it were at a standard luminosity distance away from us, in the absence of interstellar extinction. ... For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words see here. ... Image of the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. ... In geometry, a diameter (Greek words diairo = divide and metro = measure) of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center and whose endpoints are on the circular boundary, or, in more modern usage, the length of such a line segment. ... km redirects here. ... Look up Mile in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... Spectral type: G Absolute magnitude: 3. ... The Johnstown Diogenite. ...

The adjectival form of the name is Vestalian or Vestian.

Discovery

Size comparison: the first 10 asteroids profiled against Earth's Moon. Vesta is fourth from the left. (The leftmost object, 1 Ceres, is now classified as a dwarf planet)

Vesta was discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on March 29, 1807. He allowed the prominent mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss to name the asteroid after the Roman virgin goddess of home and hearth, Vesta. Image File history File links The first 10 asteroids profiled against the Earths Moon. ... Image File history File links The first 10 asteroids profiled against the Earths Moon. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... 1 Ceres (IPA , Latin: ) is a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ... An astronomer or astrophysicist is a person whose area of interest is astronomy or astrophysics. ... Categories: Astronomers stubs | 1758 births | 1840 deaths | German astronomers | German physicists | Lists of asteroids ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in leap years). ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Leonhard Euler is considered by many to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time A mathematician is the person whose primary area of study and research is the field of mathematics. ...   (30 April 1777 – 23 February 1855) was a German mathematician and scientist of profound genius who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, magnetism, astronomy and optics. ... Roman mythology, the mythological beliefs of the people of Ancient Rome, can be considered as having two parts. ... Statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of the agriculture A goddess is a female deity, in contrast with a male deity known as a god. Many cultures have goddesses, sometimes alone, but more often as part of a larger pantheon that includes both the conventional genders and in some cases... Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman mythology, analogous to Hestia in Greek mythology. ...

After the discovery of Vesta in 1807, no further asteroids were discovered for 38 years. During this time the four known asteroids were counted among the planets, and each had its own planetary symbol. Vesta was normally represented by a stylized hearth ( ). Other symbols are and . All are simplifications of the original .^[5]
Image File history File links Vesta_symbol. ... Image File history File links 4_Vesta_(0). ... Image File history File links 100px-Simbolo_di_Vesta. ...

Physical characteristics

Vesta is the second-most-massive body in the asteroid belt. Vesta does have a differentiated interior.^[6] It is in the Inner Main Belt, which lies interior to the Kirkwood gap at 2.50 AU. It is similar to 2 Pallas in volume (to within uncertainty), but significantly more massive. Vesta's shape is relatively close to a gravitationally relaxed oblate spheroid,^[7] but the large concavity and protrusion at the pole (see 'Surface Features' below) precluded it from being considered a planet under IAU Resolution XXVI 5. In any case, this resolution was rejected by the IAU membership and Vesta will continue to be called an asteroid. However, it is possible that Vesta may be listed as a dwarf planet in the future, if it is convincingly determined that its shape is due to hydrostatic equilibrium. Image of the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. ... Kirkwood gaps are gaps that appear in a graph if we classify the asteroids according to their periods, which is proportional to their mean radius from the Sun. ... 2 Pallas (pal-us, Greek Παλλάς) was the first asteroid discovered after 1 Ceres. ... Oblate also refers to a member of the Roman Catholic religious order of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, or in some cases to a lay or religious person who has officially associated himself (or herself) with a monastic community such as the Benedictines for reasons of personal enrichment without... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ... Hydrostatic equilibrium occurs when compression due to gravity is balanced by a pressure gradient which creates a pressure gradient force in the opposite direction. ...

Its rotation is relatively fast for an asteroid (5.342 h) and prograde, with the north pole pointing in the direction of right ascension 20 h 32 min, declination +48° with an uncertainty of about 10°. This gives an axial tilt of 29°.^[7] This article is about retrograde motion. ... Equatorial Coordinates Right ascension (abbrev. ... In astronomy, declination (abbrev. ... Axial tilt is an astronomical term regarding the inclination angle of a planets rotational axis in relation to its orbital plane. ...

Temperatures on the surface have been estimated to lie between about -20°C with the Sun overhead, dropping to about -190°C at the winter pole. Typical day-time and night-time temperatures are -60°C and -130°C, respectively. This estimate is for May 6, 1996, very close to perihelion, while details vary somewhat with seasons.^[8] Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ...

Geology

For Vesta, there is a large collection of potential samples accessible to scientists, in the form of over 200 HED meteorites, giving insight into Vesta's geologic history and structure. The Johnstown Diogenite. ...

Vesta is thought to consist of a metallic iron-nickel core, an overlying rocky olivine mantle, with a surface crust. From the first appearance of Ca-Al-rich inclusions (the first solid matter in the Solar System, forming about 4567 million years ago), a likely timeline is as follows:^[9][10][11] Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Atomic mass 58. ... The planetary core consists of the innermost layers of a planet. ... Olivine basalt The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4. ... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ... Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) are centimeter sized light-coloured inclusions found in carbonaceous chondrites. ... Major features of the Solar System (not to scale, from left to right): Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, a comet, Jupiter, the asteroid belt, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth & Moon, and Mars. ...

• accretion completed after about 2-3 million years.
• Complete or almost complete melting due to radioactive decay of ²⁶Al, leading to separation of the metal core at about 4-5 million years.
• Progressive crystallization of a convecting molten mantle. Convection stopped when about 80% of the material had crystallized, at about 6-7 million years.
• Extrusion of the remaining molten material to form the crust. Either as basaltic lavas in progressive eruptions, or possibly forming a short-lived magma ocean.
• The deeper layers of the crust crystallize to form plutonic rocks, while older basalts are metamorphosed due to the pressure of newer surface layers.
• Slow cooling of the interior.

Elevation diagram of 4 Vesta viewed from the south-east, showing the south pole crater. As determined from Hubble Space Telescope images of May 1996.

Vesta is the only known intact asteroid that has been resurfaced in this manner. However, the presence of iron meteorites and achondritic meteorite classes without identified parent bodies indicates that there once were other differentiated planetesimals with igneous histories, which have since been shattered by impacts. See also: Accretion (finance) Accretion is increase in size by gradual addition of smaller parts. ... Radioactive decay is the set of various processes by which unstable atomic nuclei emit subatomic particles (radiation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number aluminium, Al, 13 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 13, 3, p Appearance silvery Atomic mass 26. ... Convection is the internal movement of currents within fluids (i. ... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ... Extrusive refers to a mode of igneous rock formation, in which hot magma from inside the Earth flows out (extrudes) onto the surface. ... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ... Basalt Columnar basalt at Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Eruption can refer to: Volcanic eruption The eruption of teeth through the gum Eruption (band) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Magma is molten rock located beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other rocky planet), and which often collects in a magma chamber. ... Frost crystallization on a shrub. ... In geology an intrusion is usually a body of igneous rock that has crystallized from a molten magma below the surface of the Earth. ... Basalt Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock, sometimes porphyritic, and is often both fine-grained and dense. ... Quartzite, a form of metamorphic rock, from the Museum of Geology at University of Tartu collection. ... Image File history File links Vesta_elevation_HST1996. ... Image File history File links Vesta_elevation_HST1996. ... -1... Iron meteorites consist overwhelmingly of nickel-iron alloys. ... An Achondrite is a stony meteorite that is made of material similar to terrestrial basalts or plutonic rocks. ... ÈàÌàìòòIn cosmogony, planetesimals are objects thought to exist within solar nebulae. ... Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock (magma) cools and solidifies, with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. ...

Vesta's crust is reasoned to consist of (in order of increasing depth):^[12]

• A lithified regolith, the source of howardites and brecciated eucrites.
• Basaltic lava flows, a source of non-cumulate eucrites.
• Plutonic rocks consisting of pyroxene, pigeonite and plagioclase, the source of cumulate eucrites.
• Plutonic rocks rich in orthopyroxene with large grain sizes, the source of diogenites.

On the basis of the sizes of V-type asteroids (thought to be pieces of Vesta's crust ejected during large impacts), and the depth of the south polar crater (see below), the crust is thought to be roughly 10 km thick. Lithification (from the Greek word lithos meaning rock and the Latin-derived suffix -ific) is the process whereby sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock. ... Regolith (Greek: blanket rock) is a layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock. ... QUE94200 a Howardite about 5 cm across, found in the Queen Alexandra Range in Antarctica. ... Breccia, derived from the Latin word for broken, is a sedimentary rock composed of angular fragments in a matrix that may be of a similar or a different material. ... The Ibitira Eucrite, a non-cumulate non-brecciated eucrite of the Stannern trend. ... Basalt Columnar basalt at Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... In computer programming jargon, lava flow is a problem in which computer code, usually written under less than optimal conditions, is put into production and then built on when still in a developmental state. ... The Ibitira Eucrite, a non-cumulate non-brecciated eucrite of the Stannern trend. ... Figure 1:Mantle-peridotite xenolith with green peridot olivine and black pyroxene crystals from San Carlos Indian Reservation, Gila Co. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Lunar Ferroan Anorthosite #60025 (Plagioclase Feldspar). ... The Ibitira Eucrite, a non-cumulate non-brecciated eucrite of the Stannern trend. ... Figure 1:Mantle-peridotite xenolith with green peridot olivine and black pyroxene crystals from San Carlos Indian Reservation, Gila Co. ... The Johnstown Diogenite. ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ...

Surface features

Elevation map of 4 Vesta, as determined from Hubble Space Telescope images of May 1996.

Some Vestian surface features have been resolved using the Hubble Space Telescope and ground based telescopes, e.g. the Keck Telescope. Image File history File links Vesta_elevation_map_HST1996. ... Image File history File links Vesta_elevation_map_HST1996. ... -1... -1... The Mauna Kea Observatory, an institute of the University of Hawaii, is considered one of the most important land-based observatories in the world for its isolated, unobstructed views of space without interference from man-made light sources. ...

The most prominent surface feature is an enormous crater 460 km in diameter centered near the south pole.^[7] Its width is 80% of the entire diameter of Vesta. The floor of this crater is about 13 km below, and its rim rises 4-12 km above the surrounding terrain, with total surface relief of about 25 km. A central peak rises 18 km above the crater floor. It is estimated that the impact responsible excavated about 1% of the entire volume of Vesta, and it is likely that the Vesta family and V-type asteroids are the products of this collision. If this is the case, then the fact that 10 km fragments of the Vesta family and V-type asteroids have survived bombardment until the present indicates that the crater is only about 1 billion years old or younger.^[13] It would also be the original site of origin of the HED meteorites. In fact, all the known V-type asteroids taken together account for only about 6% of the ejected volume, with the rest presumably either in small fragments, ejected by approaching the 3:1 Kirkwood gap, or perturbed away by the Yarkovsky effect or radiation pressure. Spectroscopic analyses of the Hubble images^[13] have shown that this crater has penetrated deep through several distinct layers of the crust, and possibly into the mantle which is indicated by spectral signatures of olivine. Interestingly Vesta was not disrupted nor resurfaced by an impact of this magnitude. A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Vesta family is a family of asteroids that are believed to have originated from asteroid 4 Vesta. ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... Vesta family is a family of asteroids that are believed to have originated from asteroid 4 Vesta. ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... The Johnstown Diogenite. ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... Kirkwood gaps are gaps that appear in a graph if we classify the asteroids according to their periods, which is proportional to their mean radius from the Sun. ... In physics, the Yarkovsky effect is a force felt by a body caused by the momentum carried away by the thermal photons that it emits. ... Radiation pressure is the pressure exerted upon any surface exposed to electromagnetic radiation. ... Extremely high resolution spectrum of the Sun showing thousands of elemental absorption lines (fraunhofer lines) Spectroscopy is the study of matter and its properties by investigating light, sound, or particles that are emitted, absorbed or scattered by the matter under investigation. ... -1... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ... Olivine basalt The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4. ...

Spectral and albedo maps of 4 Vesta, as determined from Hubble Space Telescope images from November 1994.

Several other large craters about 150 km wide and 7 km deep are also present. A dark albedo feature about 200 km across has been named Olbers in honour of Vesta's discoverer, but it does not appear in elevation maps as a fresh crater would, and its nature is presently unknown, perhaps an old basaltic surface.^[14] It serves as a reference point with the 0° longitude prime meridian defined to pass through its center. Image File history File links Vesta_spectral_map_HST1994. ... Image File history File links Vesta_spectral_map_HST1994. ... Albedo is a ratio of scattered to incident electromagnetic radiation power. ... -1... Albedo is a ratio of scattered to incident electromagnetic radiation power. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... Basalt Columnar basalt at Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... Longitude, sometimes denoted by the Greek letter λ (lambda),[1][2] describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. ... Location of the Prime Meridian Prime Meridian in Greenwich The Prime Meridian, also known as the International Meridian or Greenwich Meridian, is the meridian (line of longitude) passing through the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Greenwich, England — it is the meridian at which longitude is 0 degrees. ...

The eastern and western hemispheres show markedly different terrains. From preliminary spectral analyses of the Hubble Space Telescope images,^[13] the eastern hemisphere appears to be some kind of high albedo, heavily cratered "highland" terrain with aged regolith, and craters probing into deeper plutonic layers of the crust. On the other hand, large regions of the western hemisphere are taken up by dark geologic units thought to be surface basalts, perhaps analogous to the lunar maria.-1... Albedo is a ratio of scattered to incident electromagnetic radiation power. ... Regolith (Greek: blanket rock) is a layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock. ... Basalt Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock, sometimes porphyritic, and is often both fine-grained and dense. ... The Lunar maria (singular: mare, pronounced MAH-ray) are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earths Moon, formed by ancient basaltic flood eruptions caused by extremely large meteoroid impacts. ...

Fragments

4 Vesta and 1 Ceres alongside Earth's Moon.

Various small solar system objects are believed to be fragments of Vesta caused by collisions. The Vestoid asteroids and HED meteorites are examples. The V-type asteroid 1929 Kollaa has been determined to have a composition akin to cumulate eucrite meteorites, indicating its origin deep within Vesta's crust.^[15] Image File history File links The asteroids 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres shown alongside the Earths Moon. ... Image File history File links The asteroids 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres shown alongside the Earths Moon. ... 1 Ceres (IPA , Latin: ) is a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... The Johnstown Diogenite. ... The V-type asteroids or Vestoids are moderately bright, and very similar to the more common S-type, which are also made up of stony irons and ordinary chondrites. ... The Ibitira Eucrite, a non-cumulate non-brecciated eucrite of the Stannern trend. ...

Because a number of meteorites are believed to be Vestian fragments, Vesta is currently one of only five identified Solar system bodies for which we have physical samples, the others being Mars, the Moon, comet Wild 2, and Earth itself. Major features of the Solar System (not to scale, from left to right): Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, a comet, Jupiter, the asteroid belt, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth & Moon, and Mars. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ...

Exploration of Vesta

The first space mission to Vesta will be NASA's Dawn probe, which will enter orbit around the asteroid for nine months in 2010-2011. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States Government, responsible for that nations public space program. ... The Dawn Mission is a NASA unmanned space mission currently under development to send an orbiting space probe to examine the two most massive members of the asteroid belt, the dwarf planet Ceres and the asteroid Vesta. ... A space probe is an unmanned space mission in which a spacecraft leaves Earths orbit. ... In physics, an orbit is the path that an object makes, around another object, whilst under the influence of a source of centripetal force, such as gravity. ...

Aspects

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May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... This article is about the date September 11 in general. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in leap years). ... 2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2016 (MMXVI) will be a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2017 (MMXVII) will be a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in leap years). ... 2017 (MMXVII) will be a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 2016 (MMXVI) will be a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 2018 (MMXVIII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 2018 (MMXVIII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 2018 (MMXVIII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2017 (MMXVII) will be a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2019 (MMXIX) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 2019 (MMXIX) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2020 (MMXX) will be a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 2019 (MMXIX) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2021 is a common year starting on Friday. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 2021 is a common year starting on Friday. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 2021 is a common year starting on Friday. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2020 (MMXX) will be a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

External links

• Views of the Solar System: Vesta
• HubbleSite: Hubble Maps the Asteroid Vesta
• HubbleSite: Hubble Reveals Huge Crater on the Surface of the Asteroid Vesta
• [1]: short movie composed from Hubble Space Telescope images from November 1994.
• Adaptive optics views of Vesta from Keck Observatory
• A simulation of the orbit of Vesta
• differentiated interior of Vesta
• Orbital simulation from JPL (Java)
• 4 Vesta images at ESA/Hubble

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See also

• Asteroids in fiction
• List of Solar System bodies formerly considered planets