[LVAS] Fwd: [meteorite-list] Get Set for a Possible Glimpse of an Asteroid (Vesta)

[Jay & Annette]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Ron Baalke <baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Date: February 16, 2010 5:23:22 PM PST
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing List)
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Get Set for a Possible Glimpse of an Asteroid (Vesta)
> 
> 
> http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-051  
> 
> Get Set for a Possible Glimpse of an Asteroid
> Jet Propulsion Laboratory
> February 16, 2010
> 
> The most prominent asteroid in the sky is currently yours for the
> perusing with binoculars -- and perhaps even the naked eye.
> 
> Tomorrow night, Wednesday, Feb. 17, Vesta, the second most massive
> object in the asteroid belt, reaches what astronomers like to call
> "opposition." An asteroid (or planet or comet) is said to be "in
> opposition" when it is opposite to the sun as seen from Earth. In other
> words, if you were to stand outside with the sun directly above you at
> high noon, Vesta would be directly below your feet some 211,980,000
> kilometers (131,700,000 miles) away. With Vesta at opposition, the
> asteroid is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
> 
> Wednesday night, the asteroid is expected to shine at magnitude 6.1.
> That brightness should make it visible to interested parties brandishing
> telescopes or binoculars, and even those blessed with excellent vision
> and little or no light pollution or clouds in their vicinity. Vesta will
> be visible in the eastern sky in the constellation Leo.
> 
> What makes this space rock so prominent these days? Along with its
> relative proximity at this point, a full half of the asteroid is being
> bathed by sunlight when seen from Earth, making it appear brighter.
> Another attribute working in the observer's favor is that Vesta has a
> unique surface material that is not as dark as most main belt asteroids
> - allowing more of the sun's rays to reflect off its surface.
> 
> If spotting Vesta in the night sky has whetted your appetite for
> mega-rocks, all we can say is, stay tuned. NASA's Dawn spacecraft,
> currently motoring its way through the asteroid belt, will begin its
> exploration of Vesta in the summer of 2011.
> 
> For more information about Dawn, visit: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/ .
> 
> DC Agle 818-393-9011
> agle at jpl.nasa.gov
> 
> 2010-051
> 
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