The celestial body, subject to cloudless weather, will be visible from 17:00 Wednesday to 07:00 Thursday at the latitude of Moscow. Such cities as Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk are located at the same latitude. You need to look for an asteroid in the southeastern part of the sky, between the constellations Leo and Gemini.
Vesta goes around the Sun in an almost circular orbit: at the farthest point, it is 2.6 thousand times farther from the star than the Earth, in the nearest one - 2.2 times. The path of Vesta runs along the main asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid makes one revolution around the Sun in 3.63 years. The closest distance that Vesta can come to Earth is 177 million km.
It can be a shame to miss the confrontation between the Sun and the asteroid: Vesta is the only asteroid that is visible to the naked eye and looks like a rather dim star. Its brightness will be 6.2 magnitude. The fact is that the magnitude scale has the opposite meaning: the lower the indicator, the brighter the light (for comparison: one of the brightest stars - Polaris - has a magnitude of 1.97). It will be possible to consider Vesta later, but for this you will have to arm yourself with a telescope. The asteroid will continue its path across the sky, move from the constellation of Cancer towards Gemini and move on.
Messenger from Vesta
It is curious that the inhabitants of the Earth were probably lucky enough to touch Vesta. In the 1960s, a meteorite fell in Australia. After analyzing later the chemical composition of the fragment and studying the data of spectral analysis, scientists came to the conclusion that it could have split off from Vesta. A meteorite measuring 9.6x8.1x8.7 cm consists of the pyroxene mineral, which is formed during periods of lava flooding. Its structure indicates that the mineral itself was once in a molten state. Probably, Vesta survived a powerful collision with another object, after which at least one of its fragments fell to Earth.
The closest mankind got to the asteroid was NASA's Dawn mission. The automatic interplanetary station entered orbit Vesta in July 2011 and continued to explore it until September 2012. In one of the first images taken during the mission from a distance of 1.2 million km, the asteroid appears as a bright glowing spot due to the very large amount of light reflected by Vesta. The real dimensions of the celestial body are much more modest.
- Image of the giant asteroid Vesta taken by the spacecraft "Dawn"
- Reuters
Didn't come out tall
The Dawn mission confirmed the data from the Hubble telescope: in the southern hemisphere of the asteroid, which is more than 500 km across, there is a huge impact crater Rheasilvia. Its diameter is almost 460 km, and its depth is 12. Traces of many other collisions are visible on the surface.
Vesta, which was apparently formed during the formation of the solar system - about 4.6 billion years ago, has an iron-nickel core, a crust formed partially from solidified lava, and many traces of volcanic activity. The basalt surface, which reflects light well, is precisely the reason for the brightness of the asteroid. On Vesta, signs of the presence of water were found, there is its own Everest (it is almost three times higher than the Earth) and an interesting attraction - a series of craters called "Snowman".
- A series of craters "Snowman" on the asteroid Vesta
The structure and history of the formation of Vesta make it somewhat similar to the Earth and other planets. For this reason, it is also called a protoplanet, which never grew to the appropriate size.
Vesta is an asteroid, curious in many ways. This is the only such object that can be seen with the naked eye. In terms of mass and size, Vesta surpasses most other known asteroids in the space between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. In terms of its parameters, it is even closer to. Located in the Main Vesta, it refers to bodies that were formed at about the same period as the Earth, which means that it can tell a lot about the distant past of our system.
Opening
Vesta is an asteroid discovered while searching for a planet between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. According to the theory, the distribution of orbits in space around the Sun obeys a certain pattern. All planets known at the beginning of the 19th century fit into this theory. The only exceptions were Jupiter and Mars. The vast space between them was supposed to hide an unknown planet. During her search, many elements of the main asteroid belt were discovered.
Vesta was discovered in 1807 by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers. Another scientist, Karl Gauss, gave her the name of the ancient Roman goddess of the hearth. The name stuck and is still used today.
Options
After Ceres was attributed to the dwarf planets, Vesta ranks second in size among asteroids after Pallas. Its parameters are 578 × 560 × 458 km. The noticeable asymmetry of the shape does not allow Vesta to be attributed to dwarf planets. In terms of mass (2.59 * 10 20 kg), it is ahead of Pallada, that is, in the main asteroid belt, only the same Ceres surpasses it in this parameter.
Does the asteroid Vesta have an atmosphere?
Asteroids do not just stand out as a separate class of cosmic bodies. They differ from planets in a number of parameters: size, shape, mass, and so on. Signs characteristic of the asteroid do not allow it to hold the gas envelope. Therefore, the answer to the question "does the asteroid Vesta have an atmosphere" is negative. An extremely rarefied shell of gas exists on Ceres. Other bodies in the Main Belt cannot boast of such a characteristic as the asteroid Vesta. Has an atmosphere of Earth, Venus, Mars, gas giants and some satellites. Asteroids are too small for that.
How to see the asteroid Vesta?
Due to its brightness, Vesta can be seen with the naked eye. Although it is inferior in size to Ceres and Pallas, it is characterized by a more significant reflectivity. Other asteroids from Earth cannot be seen without special equipment.
The best time to look for an asteroid in the sky is the days of opposition, when it comes closest to Earth. During these periods, its brightness increases to 5.1 m (the minimum value of this parameter is 8.5 m). The last time such a confrontation took place in April 2014.
Vesta approaches the minimum distance to our planet every 3-4 years. Without a telescope, it can be seen only in good visibility conditions. Moreover, it does not differ from ordinary stars.
Traffic
Vesta's orbit lies in the inner part of the Main Asteroid Belt. Its shape is only slightly elongated - it is an almost perfect circle. The orbit is characterized by a slight inclination to the plane of the ecliptic. Vesta makes one revolution around the Sun every 3.6 years. Moreover, during its movement, the asteroid does not cross the orbit of our planet.
Automatic interplanetary station Dawn
In 2011, in July, Vesta passed the point of minimum distance to our planet. This period was used for a detailed study of the asteroid. Back in 2007, AMC Dawn went to Vesta. The mission of the apparatus is to study this asteroid, as well as the dwarf planet Ceres.
Dawn entered the circular orbit of Vesta on July 16, 2011. By December 12, it reached its minimum height above the asteroid. Among the tasks of the apparatus were the measurement of the gravitational field, the determination of the spectrum of neutrons and gamma rays, which appears when cosmic rays fall on the asteroid Vesta. Photos of the object began to arrive on Earth on December 13th.
AMC Dawn left the 2012 asteroid and traveled to Ceres. To date (December 2015), the device continues its work in the orbit of the dwarf planet.
Sight
Vesta is an asteroid carefully "examined" by the Hubble telescope. The research was carried out in the 90s of the last century. Hubble has studied the surface of the asteroid. The most impressive detail of the relief turned out to be a giant crater, later named Reyasilvia. The trail, presumably left by the collision, is 460 km in diameter and 13 km deep. Scientists still cannot answer the question of how Vesta was able to survive such a blow.
AMC Dawn also studied the state of the crater. According to scientists, Rheasilvia was formed 1 billion years ago. The crater basin partially obscures the trail from another more ancient impact, called the Veneneya crater. In the center of Reyasilvia there is a mountain 22 km high and 180 km in diameter. In terms of its parameters, it is ahead of the giant Olympus on Mars, which was previously considered the highest known mountain in the solar system.
Scientists suggest that the material ejected during the impact served as the material for the emergence of objects of the Vesta family and asteroids of class V.
Researchers turn their gaze to such objects, because they can tell a lot about the time when the solar system was just forming. Vesta is an asteroid similar in composition to terrestrial planets. Most likely, its study will tell astronomers a lot about the distant past of our piece of the Galaxy.
Published on 1/18/17 09:51 AMThe asteroid flies to the Earth today 2017: the celestial body will fly by on January 18 at a distance of 229 million km from the Earth.
The inhabitants of our planet will be able to see the asteroid Vesta on Epiphany night from January 18 to 19, 2017, which will become the brightest this year, as it will be in opposition to the Sun.
"If the weather is clear, it will be possible to observe it with the naked eye," TASS quotes a representative of the Moscow Planetarium.
Asteroid Vesta is the second most massive in the main asteroid belt intkbbee between Mars and Jupiter. The celestial body was discovered by Heinrich Olbers on March 29, 1807, and the asteroid got its name in honor of the goddess Vesta - the keeper of the hearth.
As noted by scientists, the asteroid Vesta has a very bright surface and is the only celestial object of its kind, visible to the naked eye from Earth on a clear night. Its size is 576 km across. It is capable of approaching our planet at a distance of 177 million km, small by cosmic standards.
"On January 18, Vesta will be at a distance of about 229 million km from the Earth. Vesta can be observed at the latitude of Moscow all night, from evening to morning, starting from 17:00 Moscow time to 07:00 Moscow time in the constellation Cancer. Vesta's brilliance during the period of opposition will reach 6.2 m (stellar magnitude), which will make it possible, under the condition of clear cloudless weather, to observe the asteroid with the naked eye, "the planetarium stressed.
The second largest and brightest object in the main asteroid belt is called Vesta. If it were not for the most powerful collision in antiquity, Vesta would have been classified as a dwarf planet.
Discovery history
As in the situation with the discovery of all asteroids of the main belt, the history of the discovery of Vesta began with the search for the missing planet in orbit between Mars and Jupiter (which can be found in more detail in the article on the main asteroid belt). Vesta was first discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Olbers in 1807. The name of the new object in the solar system, with Olbers' permission, was given by another German astronomer of that time - Karl Gauss. He chose the name Vesta, in honor of the ancient Roman goddess of home and home.
Asteroid characteristics
The generally accepted designation of asteroids assumes that the name of the object is preceded by its serial number, in the order of the discovery of asteroids. Vesta was the fourth open object in the main belt, therefore its designation is (4) Vesta. Vesta is the most massive asteroid in the main asteroid belt, accounting for 9% of the mass of the entire Main belt. But Vesta is inferior in size to (2) Pallas and the dwarf planet Ceres. The diameter of the asteroid is 560 km. At the same time, Vesta is the brightest object of the main asteroid belt, even brighter than Ceres, whose diameter is almost 2 times larger than Vesta. The surface of the asteroid is covered with basaltic rocks, similar to those that erupt from volcanoes on Earth. Such rocks have a higher light reflectance than the carbonaceous minerals that cover Ceres. Therefore, Vesta is brighter than Ceres and other asteroids of the main belt. Despite its small size, Vesta can be observed even with the naked eye on a dark night, far from artificial lighting.
Vesta's orbit lies in the inner region of the main asteroid belt. The average distance from the Sun is 2.4 astronomical units. One revolution around the Sun takes 3.6 Earth years, and one revolution around its axis takes 5 hours and 20 minutes. The temperature on the surface of the asteroid ranges from -190 ° C in winter and can rise to -3 ° C in summer.
The shape of Vesta is close to spherical and would be so if two powerful collisions with other asteroids did not occur. It is believed that about 2 billion years ago, Vesta experienced the first collision. The crater formed from this impact is called Veneneia. Its diameter is about 400 km. A little less than a billion years later, Vesta experienced another, already more powerful collision. The consequence was the impact crater Resylvia, with a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the asteroid itself - 500 km. The depth of the crater is 19 km, and in the center there is a peak 23 km high from the base of the crater. The impact was so strong that furrows formed at the equator of the asteroid due to the compression of the rock. Their length is 465 km, and the average width is about 10 km, in depth they can reach 5 km. (In the video below.)
So, if not for the impact craters that disfigured the appearance of the asteroid, today Vesta would be classified as a dwarf planet.
The collision of Vesta with another asteroid allowed scientists to study the inner composition of Vesta even before the Dawn spacecraft entered its orbit in 2011. The fact is that a large amount of debris was thrown into outer space from the impact. It is estimated that Vesta has lost about 1% of its volume. These debris subsequently fell on other bodies in the solar system and on the Earth in the form of meteorites. The study of the chemical composition of these meteorites allowed scientists to make the assumption that Vesta is a protoplanet (planetary embryo). Its internal chemical composition is similar to that of the Earth.
Young Vesta possessed a sufficient amount of internal heat, her bowels were melted as a result of the decay of heavy radioactive elements. In addition, a process of internal differentiation took place, when heavy elements move to the center of a celestial body, and lighter ones are displaced closer to the surface. The molten core of a young asteroid and further differentiation of the bowels, allow us to speak about the planetary structure of Vesta.
Throughout the history of the solar system, asteroids with a metallic core have been destined to collapse due to collisions with other objects. As a result, many smaller bodies were formed. And only Vesta was lucky enough to survive to this day in almost its original form. Thus, Vesta is the only representative of protoplanets that has survived to this day, from which such planets as Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury were subsequently formed. Vesta is an excellent object for studying the processes that took place in the protoplanets of the young solar system.
Computer model made on the basis of images obtained from NASA's comic apparatus "Dawn". In the video:
1. Furrows of Divalia formed as a result of a collision with another cosmic body.
2. Crater Marcius, the largest crater in the series of "snowman" craters, 58 km in diameter.
3. Dome of Aricius, 5 km high and 39 km in diameter.
P.S. New space oddities were discovered by the tireless alien artifact seeker Joseph P. Skipper (Investigator). He and his numerous colleagues - virtual archaeologists - are looking for unusual objects, examining in detail the images from other planets and other celestial bodies posted on official websites. And they find it.
This time the attention of "archaeologists" was attracted by the asteroid Vesta - the second largest in the solar system. Its diameter is 550 kilometers. Almost a planet.
Vesta is located between Mars and Jupiter - in the asteroid belt. And according to one of the very popular hypotheses, this belt is the remains of the destroyed planet Phaethon. And on it - this is already on another hypothesis - once there was life. Perhaps even reasonable. That is, with local residents who have reached a high level of development. It seems that Skipper and his colleagues have found confirmation of this fantasy. They made out on Vesta the remains of two technical objects at once.
Near the asteroid is now the American robotic probe Dawn, which approached it on December 12, 2011. The probe is transmitting high-resolution images to Earth. NASA posts them on its official website (NASA Photojournal).
So, in one of the pictures, it was possible to make out a disk, partially hidden under a layer of soil. And partially destroyed. The object is very similar to a crashed "flying saucer". In our presentation, of course, about "flying saucers".
