Vesta is one of the most massive objects orbiting in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Although Vesta is classified as an asteroid, its geological composition and geographical features resemble those of a planet.
Unstable Ranking
The dwarf planet Ceres is undisputed as the largest object in the Asteroid Belt. But second and third place shifts between the two asteroids Vesta and Pallas. Both are very similar in size, and their distance from Earth makes accurate measurements difficult to obtain.The Planetary Society: Asteroid 4 Vesta
References
Fast Facts
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Official name
4 Vesta
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Discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers
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Named after the Roman goddess of the home and hearth
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Diameter
530 kilometers
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Mass
3.0x1020 kilograms
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Photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope
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Measurements rate it either the second or third most massive object in the Asteroid BeltThe Planetary Society: Asteroid 4 Vesta
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Numerous impacts have sent meteorite fragments to EarthSolar Views: Asteroid Vesta
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Will be studied by NASA's Dawn Mission
