After the discovery of Vesta, no further objects were discovered for 38 years, and during this time the Solar System was thought to have eleven planets.]]

Photometric observations of Vesta were made at the Harvard College Observatory in 1880–1882 and at the Observatoire de Toulouse in 1909. These and other observations allowed the rotation rate of Vesta to be determined by the 1950s. However, the early estimates of the rotation rate came into question because the light curve included variations in both shape and albedo.

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Vesta is the second most massive body in the asteroid belt, although it is only 28% as massive as Ceres, the most massive body. Numerical modeling indicates that such a large central structure within a ~ diameter basin requires formation on a differentiated body with significant gravity. Scaling laws for craters on smaller asteroids fail to predict such a feature; instead, impact dynamics involving transient crater collapse and rebound of the underlying material (potentially upper mantle) are needed to explain its formation. Models of impact angle (around 3045 degrees from vertical) better match the detailed morphology of the basin and its prominent peak. On the surface of Vesta, we have identified both type 1 (formed from impact melt) and type 2 (electrostatically made) dust ponds within 0˚–30°N/S, that is, Equatorial region. 10 craters have been identified with such formations.

"Snowman craters"

The "snowman craters" are a group of three adjacent craters in Vesta's northern hemisphere. Their official names, from largest to smallest (west to east), are Marcia, Calpurnia, and Minucia. Marcia is the youngest and cross-cuts Calpurnia. Minucia is the oldest.

Surface composition

Compositional information from the visible and infrared spectrometer (VIR), gamma-ray and neutron detector (GRaND), and framing camera (FC), all indicate that the majority of the surface composition of Vesta is consistent with the composition of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite meteorites. to

Visibility

Its size and unusually bright surface make Vesta the brightest asteroid, and it is occasionally visible to the naked eye from dark skies (without light pollution). In May and June 2007, Vesta reached a peak magnitude of +5.4, the brightest since 1989.

Less favorable oppositions during late autumn 2008 in the Northern Hemisphere still had Vesta at a magnitude of from +6.5 to +7.3.

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Bibliography

  • The Dawn Mission to Minor Planets 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres, Christopher T. Russell and Carol A. Raymond (Editors), Springer (2011),
  • Keil, K.; Geological History of Asteroid 4 Vesta: The Smallest Terrestrial Planet in Asteroids III, William Bottke, Alberto Cellino, Paolo Paolicchi, and Richard P. Binzel (editors), University of Arizona Press (2002),

thumb|right|upright=1.25|This video explores Vesta's landscape, history and planet-like characteristics.

  • Interactive 3D gravity simulation of the Dawn spacecraft in orbit around Vesta
  • Vesta Trek – An integrated map browser of datasets and maps for 4 Vesta
  • JPL Ephemeris
  • Views of the Solar System: Vesta
  • HubbleSite: Hubble Maps the Asteroid Vesta
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Vesta – full article
  • HubbleSite: short movie composed from Hubble Space Telescope images from November 1994.
  • Adaptive optics views of Vesta from Keck Observatory
  • 4 Vesta images at ESA/Hubble
  • Dawn at Vesta (NASA press kit on Dawns operations at Vesta)
  • NASA video
  • Vesta atlas