Compute the position of Asteroid 4 Vesta for any date and time between 1 January 1600
and 30 December 2499
and visualize the results on an interactive sky map.
Asteroid 4 Vesta is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of 497,710,518.0 kilometers from Earth.
The current Right Ascension is
11h 01m 36s
and the Declination is +10° 35’ 42”
(apparent coordinates).
The magnitude of Asteroid 4 Vesta is 8.11 (data provided by JPL Horizons).
Map showing Asteroid 4 Vesta in Leo on September, 20 2024. Field of view: 50x30 degrees
View interactive star map
4 Vesta is a large asteroid located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered on March 29, 1807 by German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers and is one of the largest asteroids in the solar system, with a diameter of approximately 525 kilometers. Vesta has a relatively bright surface and is thought to be one of the few remaining protoplanets from the early solar system that has not undergone significant alteration since its formation. It has a differentiated interior, with a rocky crust, a mantle, and a metallic core. Vesta has a rotation period of about 5.34 hours and an orbital period of 3.63 Earth years. It has been observed by ground-based telescopes, as well as by the Dawn spacecraft, which orbited the asteroid from 2011 to 2012. The observations have revealed insights into its geology, composition, and history, including evidence of volcanic activity, impact craters, and a unique set of surface features known as "Vestoids", which are fragments believed to have been ejected from Vesta's surface by impacts.
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Finder Charts
Sky map showing Asteroid 4 Vesta in Leo on September, 20 2024.
Field of view: 10x6 degrees. View in interactive sky chart
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Asteroid 4 Vesta is right now.
Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Deep sky finder chart for Asteroid 4 Vesta.
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins.
View in deep sky object tracker
Also check out Where is Asteroid 4 Vesta?,
a page that provides all the information needed to find Asteroid 4 Vesta in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Asteroid 4 Vesta from Earth is currently 497,710,518.0 kilometers,
equivalent to 3.3269893192Astronomical Units.
Light takes
27m 40.184s to travel from Asteroid 4 Vesta and arrive to us.
497,710,518.0
3.3269893192
27m 40.184s
The following chart shows the distance of Asteroid 4 Vesta from Earth as a function of time.
In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with
an interval of 1 day.
Chart of the distance of Asteroid 4 Vesta from Earth in Astronomical Units (au)
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth.
The value of the distance of 4 Vesta from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the
Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 1600 and 30 December 2499,
the closest approach of
Asteroid 4 Vesta to Earth happens on
Thu Jun 23 2439 at a distance of
1.131542 Astronomical Units, or
169,276,274 kilometers:
Thu Jun 23 2439
169,276,274
1.131542
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed
with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve
(visual magnitude as a function of time) of Asteroid 4 Vesta,
according to the most recent ephemerides data.
Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies
for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies
between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Chart of the magnitude of Asteroid 4 Vesta as a function of time
The following shows the known values of the most important physical parameters of Asteroid 4 Vesta.
Source: JPL Small-Body Database
Physical Parameter
Value
Relative to Earth
Diameter
530 km
0.0416
Sideral Rotation
5.3420 hours
0.2232
Absolute Magnitude
3.2
Geometric Albedo
0.4228
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Asteroid 4 Vesta computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval.
Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
Compute the position of Asteroid 4 Vesta for any date and time between 1 January 1600
and 30 December 2499
and display the results on an interactive star map.
Orbital elements. Detailed information
about Asteroid 4 Vesta orbital parameters.
Interactive orbit visualization. 3d
visualization showing the orbit of Asteroid 4 Vesta with respect to the major Solar System objects.
Physical data. Detailed
information about physical properties of Asteroid 4 Vesta, such as mass and geometric properties.
15 days ephemerides. Table
showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Asteroid 4 Vesta for the past and next 7 days.
Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Asteroid 4 Vesta in the sky from your location.
Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Asteroid 4 Vesta with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.
Sky map showing Asteroid 4 Vesta in Leo on September, 20 2024.
Field of view: 10x6 degrees. View in interactive sky chart
Deep sky finder chart for Asteroid 4 Vesta.
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins.
View in deep sky object tracker