Object Analysis

Hygiea (10 Hygiea) is the fourth-largest object in the asteroid belt by both volume and mass. It was discovered by Annibale de Gasparis in 1849. While it is large, it is very dim because its surface is composed of dark, carbon-rich material (C-type asteroid).

Hygiea is a candidate for reclassification as a dwarf planet. In 2019, observations from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) revealed that Hygiea is nearly spherical, which means it has enough gravity to pull itself into a round shape—one of the key requirements for dwarf planet status.

Surprisingly, Hygiea lacks the massive impact craters seen on other large asteroids like Vesta. This suggests that the impact that formed the "Hygiea family" of asteroids (about 2 billion years ago) may have completely shattered the original body, which then reassembled into the smooth, spherical object we see today.