VESTA is the last of the four main minor planets to be discovered even though it is considerably brighter than either Ceres, Pallas or Juno. Vesta was originally the Roman goddess of the hearth, and was highly worshipped among the Latin population. Her flame was tended by the Vestal Virgins, which was said to have been brought originally from Troy. They believed that if its light was ever extinguished, it would mark the end of the Roman Empire. In Greece, the goddess was known as Hestia.
VESTA DATADiscoverer : Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers Date : 29 March 1807 Satellites : 0 Diameter : 578×560×458 km. Polar Tilt : c.29 ° Period (P) : 3.63 yr. Synodic Period : 463.88 d. Orbital Velocity : 19.34 km.s-1 Perihelion (q) : 2.151 A.U. Aphelion (Q) : 2.572 A.U. Eccentricity (e) : 0.0890 Inclination (i) : 7.133° Mass : 2.7 ×1020 kg. Mean Density : 3.4 g.cm-3 Mean Distance : 2.360 AU or ×108 km Sidereal Rotation : 05 hr. 20.5 m. Mean Sidereal Rotation : 0.2226 d. Maximum Diameter : 0.640 ″ (arcsec) Minimum Diameter : 0.201 ″ (arcsec) Maximum Magnitude : 5.3 Minimum Magnitude : 10.3 Class : V-type |
Discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on 29 March 1807, Vesta is well named being clearly the brightest of all the minor planets and the only one sometimes visible to the naked-eye. Vesta orbits the Sun once every 3 years or 8 months or 3.63 years and whose maximum brightness may reach 5.3 magnitude - quite similar in brightness to Uranus. At minimum, this may drop below 10.3, giving the mean brightness around 7.8 magnitude. This overall brightness is due to the high albedo of 0.43 - exceeding the albedos of either Ceres, Juno or Pallas. Over the next few decades, Vesta will reach 5.4 during early June 2007 and 5.6 August 2011.
Across the 468.3 km diameter of Vesta is unusually irregular, whose cratered surface has various dark and light spots - including one bright white spot in the mid-latitudes, which was first seen in 1994 using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and slightly later using the ESO 3.6-metre telescope atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. These surface brightness difference also causes the slow 0.1 to 0.3 magnitude fluctuations in visible light - one the largest of any known asteroid - throughout the very fast rotation of 05 hours 20.5 minutes or 0.2226 days. This quoted value has stood almost unchanged since 1951 since Vesta was observed photometrically by Bruce Stephenson with the Yerkes 30.5cm (12-inch) photographic refractor and the 82-inch at McDonald Observatory. The equatorial axis of Vesta is also tilted by some 29° to the observer’s line-of-sight. It is classed as a V-type asteroid, whose composition seems to consist of mainly basalt and accounts for the slight reddish colour seen through the telescope.
Vesta’s orbit around the Sun is fairly circular, having an eccentricity ‘e’ of 0.089, and the mean distance of 2.36 A.U. or 353 million kilometres. The orbit is inclined only by 7.3° to the ecliptic, and like most of the major planets does follow the zodiac fairly closely. Since discovery there have been some 64 observed oppositions, so the orbit is well defined.
Currently there are plans to visit Vesta, as well as Ceres, using the unmanned mission known as DAWN. With a checkered history of cancellations and reinstatements - the most recent being in March 2006, the spacecraft is now expected to be launched in June 2007. Using gravity assistance, the journey is expected to fly-by Mars in March 2009, then onto Vesta in October 2011. Dawn will the orbit Vesta until April 2012, before breaking orbit and heading off to Ceres. Ceres encounter will start in February 2015 and continue its exploration for several months. This DAWN mission expected to add much to our knowledge of the inner Solar System and towards some better understanding of the formation and origin of all asteroids.
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 12 Jan 20 58.3 -20 17 7.9 3.157 2.261 020 Cap 26 Jan 21 27.4 -18 24 7.9 3.220 2.274 013 Cap 09 Feb 21 55.9 -16 18 7.8 3.264 2.287 007 Cap 23 Feb 22 23.6 -14 02 7.8 3.287 2.301 004 Aqr 08 Mar 22 50.5 -11 39 7.9 3.290 2.315 009 Aqr 22 Mar 23 16.8 -09 13 8.0 3.271 2.329 016 Aqr 05 Apr 23 42.2 -06 48 8.1 3.233 2.343 023 Aqr 19 Apr 00 07.0 -04 25 8.2 3.175 2.357 030 Psc 03 May 00 31.0 -02 08 8.2 3.098 2.371 037 Cet 17 May 00 54.3 +00 01 8.2 3.002 2.385 044 Cet 31 May 01 16.6 +01 56 8.2 2.890 2.398 052 Cet 14 Jun 01 37.9 +03 38 8.2 2.763 2.412 059 Psc 28 Jun 01 57.9 +05 05 8.1 2.622 2.425 068 Psc 12 Jul 02 16.3 +06 13 8.0 2.471 2.438 076 Cet 26 Jul 02 32.5 +07 01 7.9 2.313 2.450 085 Cet 09 Aug 02 45.8 +07 28 7.7 2.150 2.462 095 Cet 23 Aug 02 55.6 +07 31 7.5 1.991 2.474 106 Cet 06 Sep 03 00.9 +07 12 7.3 1.841 2.485 118 Cet 20 Sep 03 00.8 +06 31 7.1 1.710 2.495 132 Cet 04 Oct 02 55.1 +05 32 6.8 1.609 2.505 147 Cet 18 Oct 02 44.4 +04 27 6.6 1.550 2.514 161 Cet 01 Nov 02 30.8 +03 30 6.5 1.542 2.523 169 Cet 15 Nov 02 17.4 +02 57 6.7 1.588 2.531 158 Cet 29 Nov 02 07.2 +02 56 7.0 1.684 2.538 142 Cet 13 Dec 02 01.9 +03 29 7.3 1.820 2.545 128 Psc 27 Dec 02 01.9 +04 32 7.5 1.986 2.551 114 Psc *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* -- 2007 -- 27 Dec 02 01.9 +04 32 7.5 1.986 2.551 114 Psc -- 2008 -- 10 Jan 02 07.0 +05 58 7.8 2.169 2.556 102 Psc 24 Jan 02 16.3 +07 38 8.0 2.359 2.561 090 Cet 07 Feb 02 29.1 +09 28 8.1 2.550 2.564 080 Cet 21 Feb 02 44.7 +11 22 8.3 2.734 2.567 070 Ari 07 Mar 03 02.7 +13 15 8.4 2.908 2.569 061 Ari 21 Mar 03 22.6 +15 03 8.4 3.066 2.571 052 Ari 04 Apr 03 44.2 +16 45 8.5 3.206 2.572 043 Tau 18 Apr 04 07.0 +18 17 8.5 3.325 2.571 035 Tau 02 May 04 31.0 +19 36 8.5 3.423 2.570 027 Tau 16 May 04 55.8 +20 41 8.4 3.497 2.569 020 Tau 30 May 05 21.3 +21 31 8.3 3.547 2.566 012 Tau 13 Jun 05 47.3 +22 04 8.2 3.573 2.563 005 Tau 27 Jun 06 13.6 +22 21 8.1 3.574 2.559 003 Gem 11 Jul 06 40.0 +22 21 8.3 3.551 2.554 010 Gem 25 Jul 07 06.2 +22 04 8.4 3.503 2.549 017 Gem 08 Aug 07 32.0 +21 33 8.4 3.432 2.543 024 Gem 22 Aug 07 57.4 +20 49 8.4 3.339 2.536 032 Gem 05 Sep 08 22.0 +19 53 8.4 3.224 2.528 039 Cnc 19 Sep 08 45.7 +18 49 8.4 3.088 2.520 047 Cnc 03 Oct 09 08.2 +17 41 8.3 2.935 2.511 056 Cnc 17 Oct 09 29.4 +16 31 8.2 2.766 2.501 064 Leo 31 Oct 09 48.9 +15 26 8.1 2.584 2.491 074 Leo 14 Nov 10 06.3 +14 30 8.0 2.394 2.481 083 Leo 28 Nov 10 21.2 +13 51 7.8 2.199 2.470 094 Leo 12 Dec 10 32.7 +13 35 7.5 2.008 2.458 105 Leo 26 Dec 10 40.1 +13 50 7.3 1.826 2.446 118 Leo *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 09 Jan 10 42.4 +14 40 7.0 1.665 2.433 132 Leo 23 Jan 10 39.0 +16 08 6.7 1.535 2.420 147 Leo 06 Feb 10 30.1 +18 01 6.3 1.448 2.407 163 Leo 20 Feb 10 17.4 +19 59 6.1 1.412 2.394 171 Leo 06 Mar 10 04.0 +21 34 6.3 1.430 2.380 158 Leo 20 Mar 09 53.5 +22 28 6.6 1.497 2.366 143 Leo 03 Apr 09 48.4 +22 38 6.9 1.601 2.352 128 Leo 17 Apr 09 49.4 +22 08 7.1 1.732 2.339 115 Leo 01 May 09 55.9 +21 07 7.3 1.878 2.325 103 Leo 15 May 10 07.1 +19 41 7.5 2.031 2.311 093 Leo 29 May 10 21.8 +17 55 7.7 2.184 2.297 083 Leo 12 Jun 10 39.2 +15 51 7.8 2.334 2.284 075 Leo 26 Jun 10 58.6 +13 32 7.9 2.476 2.270 067 Leo 10 Jul 11 19.6 +11 02 7.9 2.608 2.258 059 Leo 24 Jul 11 41.8 +08 21 8.0 2.728 2.245 052 Vir 07 Aug 12 05.1 +05 34 8.0 2.836 2.233 045 Vir 21 Aug 12 29.1 +02 41 8.0 2.929 2.222 038 Vir 04 Sep 12 54.1 +00 14 7.9 3.007 2.211 032 Vir 18 Sep 13 19.8 -03 08 7.9 3.070 2.202 025 Vir 02 Oct 13 46.3 -05 58 7.8 3.117 2.192 019 Vir 16 Oct 14 13.7 -08 42 7.8 3.147 2.184 012 Vir 30 Oct 14 42.0 -11 15 7.6 3.160 2.177 007 Lib 13 Nov 15 11.1 -13 36 7.6 3.156 2.170 004 Lib 27 Nov 15 40.9 -15 40 7.7 3.134 2.165 009 Lib 11 Dec 16 11.4 -17 25 7.7 3.095 2.160 015 Sco 25 Dec 16 42.4 -18 49 7.8 3.040 2.157 022 Oph *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 08 Jan 17 13.5 -19 50 7.8 2.967 2.154 028 Oph 22 Jan 17 44.6 -20 29 7.8 2.879 2.153 035 Sgr 05 Feb 18 15.3 -20 45 7.8 2.777 2.153 042 Sgr 19 Feb 18 45.3 -20 41 7.8 2.661 2.154 049 Sgr 05 Mar 19 14.0 -20 19 7.8 2.533 2.156 057 Sgr 19 Mar 19 41.3 -19 43 7.7 2.395 2.159 064 Sgr 02 Apr 20 06.7 -18 59 7.6 2.249 2.163 072 Sgr 16 Apr 20 29.9 -18 12 7.5 2.097 2.168 080 Cap 30 Apr 20 50.4 -17 29 7.3 1.942 2.174 089 Cap 14 May 21 07.6 -16 59 7.1 1.788 2.181 099 Cap 28 May 21 20.9 -16 48 6.9 1.639 2.189 109 Cap 11 Jun 21 29.4 -17 05 6.7 1.501 2.198 121 Cap 25 Jun 21 32.3 -17 56 6.4 1.382 2.208 133 Cap 09 Jul 21 29.1 -19 22 6.1 1.291 2.218 148 Cap 23 Jul 21 20.2 -21 12 5.8 1.238 2.229 163 Cap 06 Aug 21 07.7 -23 04 5.6 1.230 2.241 174 Cap 20 Aug 20 55.0 -24 35 5.9 1.271 2.253 161 Cap 03 Sep 20 45.7 -25 30 6.3 1.357 2.266 146 Cap 17 Sep 20 42.0 -25 46 6.6 1.481 2.279 132 Cap 01 Oct 20 44.6 -25 28 6.9 1.632 2.292 119 Cap 15 Oct 20 52.8 -24 44 7.2 1.803 2.306 107 Cap 29 Oct 21 05.6 -23 38 7.5 1.984 2.320 097 Cap 12 Nov 21 21.8 -22 12 7.7 2.171 2.333 087 Cap 26 Nov 21 40.6 -20 30 7.8 2.357 2.347 077 Cap 10 Dec 22 01.1 -18 32 8.0 2.538 2.361 068 Aqr 24 Dec 22 22.8 -16 22 8.1 2.711 2.375 060 Aqr *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 07 Jan 22 45.3 -14 01 8.2 2.871 2.389 052 Aqr 21 Jan 23 08.3 -11 31 8.2 3.017 2.402 044 Aqr 04 Feb 23 31.6 -08 56 8.2 3.145 2.415 036 Aqr 18 Feb 23 55.2 -06 17 8.2 3.255 2.428 028 Aqr 03 Mar 00 18.8 -03 37 8.2 3.343 2.441 021 Psc 17 Mar 00 42.6 +00 60 8.2 3.409 2.453 014 Cet 31 Mar 01 06.4 +01 34 8.1 3.452 2.465 007 Cet 14 Apr 01 30.3 +04 02 8.1 3.473 2.476 005 Psc 28 Apr 01 54.1 +06 21 8.2 3.469 2.487 011 Psc 12 May 02 18.0 +08 30 8.3 3.443 2.497 017 Cet 26 May 02 41.7 +10 27 8.4 3.394 2.507 024 Cet 09 Jun 03 05.3 +12 10 8.4 3.323 2.516 032 Ari 23 Jun 03 28.5 +13 40 8.4 3.232 2.524 039 Tau 07 Jul 03 51.2 +14 54 8.4 3.120 2.532 047 Tau 21 Jul 04 13.1 +15 53 8.4 2.989 2.539 055 Tau 04 Aug 04 33.8 +16 37 8.3 2.843 2.546 063 Tau 18 Aug 04 52.9 +17 07 8.2 2.682 2.551 072 Tau 01 Sep 05 09.8 +17 25 8.1 2.512 2.556 081 Tau 15 Sep 05 24.0 +17 32 8.0 2.334 2.561 091 Tau 29 Sep 05 34.5 +17 32 7.8 2.157 2.564 102 Tau 13 Oct 05 40.5 +17 29 7.6 1.986 2.567 115 Tau 27 Oct 05 41.0 +17 25 7.3 1.832 2.569 128 Tau 10 Nov 05 35.6 +17 25 7.0 1.707 2.571 143 Tau 24 Nov 05 24.5 +17 31 6.7 1.622 2.571 160 Tau 08 Dec 05 09.8 +17 42 6.5 1.589 2.571 175 Tau 22 Dec 04 54.6 +18 00 6.7 1.612 2.570 163 Tau *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 05 Jan 04 42.5 +18 25 7.0 1.690 2.568 147 Tau 19 Jan 04 35.6 +19 00 7.3 1.811 2.566 131 Tau 02 Feb 04 34.8 +19 43 7.5 1.964 2.563 117 Tau 16 Feb 04 39.8 +20 32 7.7 2.137 2.559 104 Tau 02 Mar 04 49.8 +21 25 7.9 2.317 2.554 092 Tau 16 Mar 05 03.8 +22 15 8.1 2.499 2.548 081 Tau 30 Mar 05 21.2 +23 01 8.2 2.674 2.542 072 Tau 13 Apr 05 41.2 +23 37 8.3 2.838 2.535 062 Tau 27 Apr 06 03.2 +24 01 8.4 2.988 2.528 054 Gem 11 May 06 26.8 +24 10 8.4 3.120 2.520 046 Gem 25 May 06 51.6 +24 04 8.4 3.233 2.511 038 Gem 08 Jun 07 17.2 +23 42 8.4 3.325 2.501 030 Gem 22 Jun 07 43.3 +23 02 8.3 3.395 2.491 023 Gem 06 Jul 08 09.7 +22 05 8.3 3.443 2.481 016 Cnc 20 Jul 08 36.2 +20 53 8.1 3.468 2.470 009 Cnc 03 Aug 09 02.5 +19 26 8.0 3.471 2.458 003 Cnc 17 Aug 09 28.6 +17 46 8.1 3.450 2.446 006 Leo 31 Aug 09 54.4 +15 56 8.1 3.407 2.434 013 Leo 14 Sep 10 19.9 +13 56 8.2 3.343 2.421 020 Leo 28 Sep 10 44.9 +11 51 8.2 3.256 2.408 027 Leo 12 Oct 11 09.5 +09 43 8.2 3.150 2.394 034 Leo 26 Oct 11 33.6 +07 35 8.2 3.025 2.381 042 Leo 09 Nov 11 57.1 +05 31 8.1 2.883 2.367 050 Vir 23 Nov 12 20.0 +03 33 8.1 2.725 2.353 058 Vir 07 Dec 12 41.9 +01 47 8.0 2.555 2.339 066 Vir 21 Dec 13 02.6 +00 15 7.8 2.376 2.325 075 Vir *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 04 Jan 13 21.6 +00 58 7.7 2.190 2.311 084 Vir 18 Jan 13 38.4 -01 47 7.5 2.004 2.298 094 Vir 01 Feb 13 52.2 -02 09 7.2 1.821 2.284 105 Vir 15 Feb 14 02.0 -02 00 6.9 1.649 2.271 117 Vir 01 Mar 14 06.7 -01 20 6.6 1.495 2.258 129 Vir 15 Mar 14 05.6 -00 12 6.3 1.368 2.246 143 Vir 29 Mar 13 58.5 +01 14 6.0 1.279 2.234 157 Vir 12 Apr 13 47.1 +02 38 5.8 1.234 2.223 167 Vir 26 Apr 13 34.1 +03 36 5.9 1.238 2.212 160 Vir 10 May 13 23.2 +03 51 6.1 1.288 2.202 147 Vir 24 May 13 17.0 +03 19 6.4 1.375 2.193 133 Vir 07 Jun 13 16.4 +02 04 6.7 1.490 2.184 120 Vir 21 Jun 13 21.4 +00 18 6.9 1.624 2.177 109 Vir 05 Jul 13 31.2 -01 50 7.1 1.769 2.170 099 Vir 19 Jul 13 44.9 -04 13 7.3 1.918 2.164 090 Vir 02 Aug 14 02.0 -06 44 7.5 2.070 2.160 081 Vir 16 Aug 14 21.8 -09 17 7.6 2.218 2.156 073 Vir 30 Aug 14 44.0 -11 49 7.7 2.362 2.154 066 Lib 13 Sep 15 08.3 -14 13 7.8 2.500 2.153 059 Lib 27 Sep 15 34.4 -16 28 7.8 2.628 2.152 052 Lib 11 Oct 16 02.3 -18 28 7.8 2.746 2.153 045 Lib 25 Oct 16 31.6 -20 10 7.9 2.852 2.155 038 Oph 08 Nov 17 02.1 -21 31 7.8 2.945 2.158 031 Oph 22 Nov 17 33.6 -22 28 7.8 3.024 2.162 024 Oph 06 Dec 18 05.8 -23 00 7.8 3.086 2.167 018 Sgr 20 Dec 18 38.3 -23 07 7.7 3.132 2.174 011 Sgr *********************************************************
************************ Opposition Conjunction ************************ 06 Jan 2006 11 May 2005 31 May 2007 11 Sep 2006 30 Oct 2008 21 Feb 2008 18 Feb 2010 22 Jun 2009 06 Aug 2011 11 Nov 2010 09 Dec 2012 10 Apr 2012 15 Apr 2014 07 Aug 2013 30 Sep 2015 13 Jan 2015 19 Jan 2017 24 May 2016 22 Jun 2018 29 Sep 2017 13 Nov 2019 09 Mar 2019 06 Mar 2021 06 Jul 2020 *************************
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