* Astronomy

Asteroid (4) Vesta is in Conjunction on the 9th April, 2012

Ephemeris

Date       UT      R.A. (J2000) Decl.    Delta     r     El.    Ph.   V
2012 01 09 000000 22 47 53.9 -13 43 27   2.893   2.390   50.4  18.5   8.2
2012 01 10 000000 22 49 32.0 -13 32 57   2.904   2.391   49.9  18.3   8.2
2012 01 11 000000 22 51 10.3 -13 22 24   2.915   2.392   49.3  18.2   8.2
2012 01 12 000000 22 52 48.7 -13 11 49   2.925   2.393   48.7  18.0   8.2
2012 01 13 000000 22 54 27.2 -13 01 11   2.936   2.394   48.1  17.8   8.2
2012 01 14 000000 22 56 05.8 -12 50 31   2.946   2.395   47.6  17.6   8.2
2012 01 15 000000 22 57 44.6 -12 39 49   2.957   2.396   47.0  17.5   8.2
2012 01 16 000000 22 59 23.5 -12 29 05   2.967   2.397   46.4  17.3   8.2
2012 01 17 000000 23 01 02.5 -12 18 19   2.977   2.398   45.9  17.1   8.2
2012 01 18 000000 23 02 41.6 -12 07 30   2.987   2.399   45.3  16.9   8.2
2012 01 19 000000 23 04 20.8 -11 56 40   2.997   2.400   44.7  16.8   8.2
2012 01 20 000000 23 06 00.2 -11 45 48   3.007   2.401   44.1  16.6   8.2
2012 01 21 000000 23 07 39.6 -11 34 53   3.017   2.402   43.6  16.4   8.2
2012 01 22 000000 23 09 19.2 -11 23 57   3.027   2.403   43.0  16.2   8.2
2012 01 23 000000 23 10 58.8 -11 12 59   3.037   2.404   42.4  16.0   8.2
2012 01 24 000000 23 12 38.6 -11 02 00   3.046   2.405   41.9  15.9   8.2
2012 01 25 000000 23 14 18.4 -10 50 59   3.056   2.406   41.3  15.7   8.2
2012 01 26 000000 23 15 58.3 -10 39 56   3.065   2.407   40.8  15.5   8.2
2012 01 27 000000 23 17 38.3 -10 28 51   3.074   2.408   40.2  15.3   8.2
2012 01 28 000000 23 19 18.4 -10 17 46   3.084   2.409   39.6  15.1   8.2
2012 01 29 000000 23 20 58.6 -10 06 38   3.093   2.410   39.1  14.9   8.2

Google earth file: Asteroid (4) Vesta Jan 2012.kmz (2kb, kmz)

On the 5th August, 2011, the asteroid (4) Vesta will be at opposition at a distance of 1.2273 AU from the Earth.
The dwarf planet will brighten to magnitude 6.1.

Hot on the heels of last months' arrival of NASA's spacecraft Dawn at asteroid Vesta, backyard skywatchers throughout August get a chance to see the space rock for themselves in its best and brightest apparition until 2018.
Vesta officially reaches opposition - opposite in the sky from the Sun, - on August 5 and will be at its brightest at magnitude 5.6 around that date- the most brilliant any asteroid  can technically ever get in our skies.
Read more

Vesta reaches magnitude +5.6 on Aug. 6 and is visible to unaided eyes if you have a very dark sky and can pick out its dim speck of light from actual faint stars in the area. Binoculars will show it readily. The asteroid is currently travelling through the constellation Capricornus the Goat, which is seen in the south-southeast sky at about 11 p.m. as August begins.
Read more

Google Earth file Asteroid (4) Vesta.kmz (9kb, kmz)