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Compass and Scale Image for Vesta
About the Object
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.The semi-major axis of Vesta's orbit about the Sun is 2.36 astronomical units (AU) or roughly 219 million miles (353 million kilometers).
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Vesta has a mean diameter of approximately 330 miles (530 kilometers). The object has a 354-mile (570-km) diameter at the equator and a slightly smaller diameter of 288-miles (464-km) pole-to-pole.
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.This image was created from HST data from proposal 12050: J.-Y. Li (University of Maryland, College Park), L. McFadden (NASA/GSFC), P. Thomas (Cornell University), C. Russell (University of California, Los Angeles), M. Mutchler (STScI), and M. Rayman, C. Raymond, and S. Weinstein-Weiss (JPL/Caltech). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>WFC3/UVIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.February 25 and 28, 2010, Exposure Time: 20 minutes
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F373N (373 nm) and F469N (469 nm)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Vesta, 4 Vesta
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Asteroid
- Release DateOctober 8, 2010
- Science ReleaseNASA Mission to Asteroid Gets Help from Hubble Space Telescope
- Credits
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
These images are composites of separate exposures made by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Each filter was used to sample a narrow wavelength range. The composite colors result from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Yellow/gold: F469N (469 nm) Cyan: F373N (373 nm)
Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.
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Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
