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A Map of Asteroid Vesta
| Title |
A Map of Asteroid Vesta |
| Explanation |
Vesta is a huge rock 500 kilometers across that orbits out past Mars [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html ]. In 1997, the above map [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/97/27/9727c.html ] of Vesta [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_Vesta ] created using the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970306.html ] was released showing a rugged surface highlighted by a single crater spanning nearly the entire length of the asteroid [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid ]. The large crater dominates the lower part of the above false-color conglomerate image [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/1997/27/image/e ]: blue indicates low terrain, while red indicates raised terrain. Evidence indicates that Vesta [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/background-text/vesta.txt ] underwent a tremendous splintering collision [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1996A%26A...316..248M ] about a billion years ago. In October 1960, a small chunk of this rock believed to have originated on Vesta [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2001M%26PS...36..501D ] fell to Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050102.html ] and was recovered in Australia [ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/as.html ]. Vesta is considered by some to be a candidate for reclassification into a planet [ http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0601/iau0601_release.html ]. |
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Jupiter, Vesta, and the Milk
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| Title |
Jupiter, Vesta, and the Milky Way |
| Explanation |
In this gorgeous skyscape, gas giant Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070329.html ] along with the stars and cosmic dust clouds of the Milky Way [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070330.html ] hang over the southern horizon in the early morning hours as seen from Stagecoach, Colorado, USA. Recorded on Thursday, Jupiter is the brightest object near picture center. Along with the stunning Milky Way, Jupiter is hard to miss, but a careful inspection of the view also reveals main belt [ http://www.solstation.com/stars/asteroid.htm ] asteroid Vesta [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060820.html ]. Of all the asteroids [ http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html ] Vesta is the brightest and is now just bright enough to be visible to the naked eye from locations with very dark, clear skies. Vesta (as well as Jupiter) appears relatively bright now because it is near opposition, literally [ http://www.heavens-above.com/ gloss.asp?term=opposition ] opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky and closest to Earth in its orbit. For Vesta [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/feature_stories/ Vesta_chart_descrip.asp ], this opposition offers the best viewing in many years. The year 2007 also coincides [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1907Obs....30..103L ] with the 200th anniversary of the asteroid's discovery [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnCommunity/ flashbacks/fb_06.asp ]. Starting late next month, NASA plans to launch the Dawn mission [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.asp ] intended to explore Vesta (and Ceres) and the main asteroid belt. |
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A Map of Asteroid Vesta
| Title |
A Map of Asteroid Vesta |
| Explanation |
Vesta is a huge rock 500 kilometers across that orbits out past Mars [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html ]. Last week, the above map [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/97/27/9727c.html ] of Vesta [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/vesta.htm ] created using the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970306.html ] was released showing a rugged surface highlighted by a single crater spanning nearly the entire length of the asteroid [ http://izzy.online.discovery.com/DCO/doc/1012/world/starshack/starshack052296/starshack.html ]. The large crater dominates the lower part of the false-color conglomerate image: blue indicates low terrain, while red indicates raised terrain. Evidence indicates that Vesta [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/background-text/vesta.txt ] underwent a tremendous splintering collision [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996A%26A%2E%2E%2E316%2E%2E248M&db_key=AST&nosetcookie=1 ] about a billion years ago. In October 1960, a small chunk of this rock believed to have originated on Vesta [ http://stardate.utexas.edu/radio/StarDateDB.FM$RETRIEVE?value=12/24/1994&field=ScriptAirDate&html=Test+Request+Date ] fell to Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960819.html ] and was recovered in Australia [ http://www.netinfo.co.uk/factbook/21e2.html ]. |
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Asteroid 9969 Braille
| Title |
Asteroid 9969 Braille |
| Explanation |
NASA probe Deep Space 1 [ http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds1/ ] zoomed past asteroid 9969 Braille [ http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/files/misc/ds1asteroid.pdf ] last week as it continued to test its new ion drive [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981203.html ] in the inner Solar System [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/overview.html ]. The flyby was the closest approach a spacecraft has ever made to an asteroid [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980712.html ]. Looking back afterwards, DS1 took the above picture [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ds1news/ ]. Formerly known as 1992 KD, the 9969th asteroid discovered was renamed in honor of Louis Braille [ http://www.cnib.ca/braille_information/louis_braille.htm ], a pioneer in written communication for the blind. 9969 Braille [ http://huey.jpl.nasa.gov/~spravdo/1992kd.htm ] is thought by some to have collided with asteroid Vesta [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/95/20.html ] in the distant past and broken up, providing debris for many of the meteorites [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/meteorites.html ] that fall to Earth. Asteroid [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/asteroid.htm ] 9969 Braille rotates only once in 9 days, and has an orbit greatly tilted relative to the ecliptic plane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990529.html ] of the planets. |
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