Vesta Sizes Up
November 6, 2012
July 18, 2011 - PASADENA, Calif. -- This composite image shows the comparative sizes of eight asteroids. Up until now, Lutetia, with a diameter of 81 miles (130 kilometers), was the largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft, which occurred during a flyby.
Vesta, which is also considered a protoplanet because it's a large body that almost became a planet, dwarfs all other small bodies in this image, with its diameter sizing up at approximately 330 miles (530 kilometers).
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/JAXA/ESA
Topics:
Technology Internet, Astronomy, Spaceflight, Planetary science, Environment, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Spacecraft, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Vesta, Protoplanet, 21 Lutetia, Asteroid, Main Belt asteroids, 4 Vesta
