Object Analysis

Vesta (4 Vesta) is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, with a mean diameter of 525 kilometers (326 mi). It was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers in 1807. It is the second-most-massive body in the asteroid belt after the dwarf planet Ceres.

Vesta is considered a protoplanet—a leftover building block from the formation of the Solar System that never accreted into a full planet. It has a differentiated interior with a crust, mantle, and iron core, much like Earth.

A colossal impact at Vesta's south pole created the Rheasilvia crater, which is 505 km in diameter—almost as wide as the asteroid itself. The central peak of this crater rises 22 km (14 mi) high, making it one of the tallest mountains in the Solar System. Debris from this impact is the source of HED meteorites found on Earth.