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TOPIC: Vesta


L

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RE: Vesta
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Vesta - an asteroid in 3D
What might asteroid Vesta look like? In a new animation, researchers at the German Aerospace Centre (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have recreated the asteroid in 3D. In the animation, the asteroid is irregularly shaped, has a slight indentation at its South Pole and numerous impact craters. In July 2011, after a four year journey, NASA's Dawn spacecraft will reach the asteroid, which circles the Sun in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This will be like taking a journey into the past because Vesta is a celestial body that has not changed much since the formation of the Solar System.
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Cosmic chunk from the belly of 3rd largest asteroid found in space

Scientists have found in space a chunk that was once a part of the third-largest asteroid.
Using NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, experts at University of North Dakota Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, have found a new kind of asteroid.
The mineralogical composition suggests that 1999 TA10 didn't originate from the outer crust of parent asteroid Vesta, but from deeper layers.

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Asteroid (4) Vesta
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Ephemeris
Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase     V

2011 05 02 20 52 24.6 -17 26 44 1.9203 2.1752 90.4 27.6 7.3

2011 05 03 20 53 43.3 -17 24 11 1.9092 2.1757 91.1 27.6 7.3

2011 05 04 20 55 01.0 -17 21 42 1.8981 2.1762 91.7 27.6 7.3

2011 05 05 20 56 17.6 -17 19 18 1.8871 2.1767 92.4 27.6 7.3

2011 05 06 20 57 33.1 -17 16 58 1.8760 2.1772 93.1 27.6 7.2

2011 05 07 20 58 47.5 -17 14 43 1.8650 2.1777 93.8 27.5 7.2

2011 05 08 21 00 00.9 -17 12 32 1.8540 2.1782 94.4 27.5 7.2

2011 05 09 21 01 13.1 -17 10 27 1.8430 2.1788 95.1 27.5 7.2

2011 05 10 21 02 24.2 -17 08 27 1.8320 2.1793 95.8 27.4 7.2

2011 05 11 21 03 34.1 -17 06 32 1.8210 2.1798 96.5 27.4 7.2

2011 05 12 21 04 42.9 -17 04 43 1.8101 2.1803 97.2 27.4 7.2

2011 05 13 21 05 50.6 -17 02 59 1.7991 2.1809 97.9 27.3 7.2

2011 05 14 21 06 57.0 -17 01 22 1.7882 2.1814 98.6 27.3 7.1

2011 05 15 21 08 02.3 -16 59 50 1.7774 2.1820 99.3 27.2 7.1

2011 05 16 21 09 06.3 -16 58 25 1.7665 2.1825 100.0 27.1 7.1

2011 05 17 21 10 09.2 -16 57 06 1.7557 2.1831 100.7 27.1 7.1

2011 05 18 21 11 10.8 -16 55 54 1.7449 2.1836 101.5 27.0 7.1

2011 05 19 21 12 11.1 -16 54 48 1.7342 2.1842 102.2 26.9 7.1

2011 05 20 21 13 10.1 -16 53 49 1.7235 2.1847 102.9 26.8 7.1

2011 05 21 21 14 07.9 -16 52 58 1.7128 2.1853 103.6 26.7 7.0

2011 05 22 21 15 04.3 -16 52 14 1.7021 2.1859 104.4 26.6 7.0

2011 05 23 21 15 59.4 -16 51 37 1.6915 2.1865 105.1 26.5 7.0

2011 05 24 21 16 53.2 -16 51 09 1.6810 2.1871 105.9 26.4 7.0

2011 05 25 21 17 45.5 -16 50 48 1.6705 2.1876 106.7 26.3 7.0

2011 05 26 21 18 36.5 -16 50 35 1.6600 2.1882 107.4 26.2 7.0

2011 05 27 21 19 26.0 -16 50 31 1.6496 2.1888 108.2 26.1 6.9

2011 05 28 21 20 14.1 -16 50 35 1.6392 2.1894 109.0 26.0 6.9

2011 05 29 21 21 00.7 -16 50 48 1.6289 2.1901 109.8 25.8 6.9

2011 05 30 21 21 45.8 -16 51 10 1.6187 2.1907 110.5 25.7 6.9

2011 05 31 21 22 29.5 -16 51 41 1.6085 2.1913 111.3 25.5 6.9

2011 06 01 21 23 11.6 -16 52 21 1.5984 2.1919 112.1 25.4 6.9

2011 06 02 21 23 52.1 -16 53 10 1.5883 2.1925 112.9 25.2 6.8

2011 06 03 21 24 31.1 -16 54 09 1.5783 2.1932 113.8 25.0 6.8

2011 06 04 21 25 08.5 -16 55 18 1.5684 2.1938 114.6 24.9 6.8

2011 06 05 21 25 44.3 -16 56 36 1.5586 2.1944 115.4 24.7 6.8

2011 06 06 21 26 18.5 -16 58 05 1.5488 2.1951 116.2 24.5 6.8

2011 06 07 21 26 51.0 -16 59 43 1.5392 2.1957 117.1 24.3 6.8

2011 06 08 21 27 21.9 -17 01 31 1.5296 2.1964 117.9 24.1 6.7

2011 06 09 21 27 51.2 -17 03 30 1.5201 2.1970 118.8 23.9 6.7

2011 06 10 21 28 18.7 -17 05 39 1.5106 2.1977 119.6 23.7 6.7

2011 06 11 21 28 44.6 -17 07 58 1.5013 2.1983 120.5 23.4 6.7

2011 06 12 21 29 08.7 -17 10 28 1.4921 2.1990 121.4 23.2 6.7

2011 06 13 21 29 31.1 -17 13 09 1.4830 2.1997 122.3 23.0 6.6

2011 06 14 21 29 51.8 -17 16 00 1.4739 2.2003 123.2 22.7 6.6

2011 06 15 21 30 10.7 -17 19 02 1.4650 2.2010 124.1 22.5 6.6

2011 06 16 21 30 27.9 -17 22 14 1.4562 2.2017 125.0 22.2 6.6

2011 06 17 21 30 43.2 -17 25 38 1.4475 2.2024 125.9 21.9 6.6

2011 06 18 21 30 56.8 -17 29 12 1.4389 2.2031 126.8 21.7 6.5

2011 06 19 21 31 08.5 -17 32 58 1.4304 2.2038 127.7 21.4 6.5

2011 06 20 21 31 18.4 -17 36 54 1.4220 2.2045 128.6 21.1 6.5

2011 06 21 21 31 26.4 -17 41 02 1.4138 2.2052 129.6 20.8 6.5

2011 06 22 21 31 32.6 -17 45 20 1.4057 2.2059 130.5 20.5 6.5

2011 06 23 21 31 36.9 -17 49 50 1.3977 2.2066 131.5 20.2 6.5

2011 06 24 21 31 39.3 -17 54 30 1.3899 2.2073 132.5 19.9 6.4

2011 06 25 21 31 39.7 -17 59 21 1.3822 2.2080 133.4 19.5 6.4

2011 06 26 21 31 38.3 -18 04 24 1.3746 2.2087 134.4 19.2 6.4

2011 06 27 21 31 35.0 -18 09 37 1.3672 2.2094 135.4 18.8 6.4

2011 06 28 21 31 29.7 -18 15 01 1.3599 2.2102 136.4 18.5 6.4

2011 06 29 21 31 22.6 -18 20 35 1.3528 2.2109 137.4 18.1 6.3

2011 06 30 21 31 13.5 -18 26 19 1.3459 2.2116 138.4 17.8 6.3

2011 07 01 21 31 02.5 -18 32 14 1.3391 2.2124 139.4 17.4 6.3

2011 07 02 21 30 49.5 -18 38 19 1.3324 2.2131 140.4 17.0 6.3

2011 07 03 21 30 34.7 -18 44 34 1.3260 2.2139 141.5 16.6 6.2

2011 07 04 21 30 18.0 -18 50 58 1.3197 2.2146 142.5 16.2 6.2

2011 07 05 21 29 59.4 -18 57 31 1.3136 2.2154 143.5 15.8 6.2

2011 07 06 21 29 38.9 -19 04 13 1.3077 2.2161 144.6 15.4 6.2

2011 07 07 21 29 16.6 -19 11 04 1.3019 2.2169 145.7 15.0 6.2

2011 07 08 21 28 52.5 -19 18 03 1.2964 2.2176 146.7 14.6 6.1

2011 07 09 21 28 26.6 -19 25 09 1.2910 2.2184 147.8 14.1 6.1

2011 07 10 21 27 58.9 -19 32 24 1.2858 2.2192 148.9 13.7 6.1

2011 07 11 21 27 29.5 -19 39 45 1.2809 2.2199 149.9 13.3 6.1

2011 07 12 21 26 58.4 -19 47 14 1.2761 2.2207 151.0 12.8 6.1

2011 07 13 21 26 25.6 -19 54 49 1.2715 2.2215 152.1 12.4 6.0

2011 07 14 21 25 51.2 -20 02 30 1.2672 2.2223 153.2 11.9 6.0

2011 07 15 21 25 15.1 -20 10 16 1.2630 2.2231 154.3 11.4 6.0

2011 07 16 21 24 37.5 -20 18 08 1.2591 2.2239 155.4 11.0 6.0

2011 07 17 21 23 58.3 -20 26 04 1.2553 2.2246 156.5 10.5 6.0

2011 07 18 21 23 17.6 -20 34 04 1.2518 2.2254 157.6 10.0 5.9

2011 07 19 21 22 35.5 -20 42 08 1.2486 2.2262 158.7 9.5 5.9

2011 07 20 21 21 51.9 -20 50 15 1.2455 2.2270 159.8 9.1 5.9

2011 07 21 21 21 07.0 -20 58 25 1.2427 2.2278 160.9 8.6 5.9

2011 07 22 21 20 20.8 -21 06 37 1.2401 2.2287 162.0 8.1 5.9

2011 07 23 21 19 33.4 -21 14 51 1.2377 2.2295 163.1 7.6 5.8

2011 07 24 21 18 44.8 -21 23 05 1.2356 2.2303 164.2 7.1 5.8

2011 07 25 21 17 55.1 -21 31 20 1.2337 2.2311 165.3 6.7 5.8

2011 07 26 21 17 04.3 -21 39 35 1.2320 2.2319 166.3 6.2 5.8

2011 07 27 21 16 12.6 -21 47 49 1.2306 2.2327 167.4 5.7 5.8

2011 07 28 21 15 19.9 -21 56 02 1.2294 2.2336 168.4 5.3 5.7

2011 07 29 21 14 26.5 -22 04 13 1.2285 2.2344 169.4 4.8 5.7

2011 07 30 21 13 32.2 -22 12 21 1.2278 2.2352 170.3 4.4 5.7

2011 07 31 21 12 37.4 -22 20 26 1.2274 2.2361 171.2 4.0 5.7

2011 08 01 21 11 41.9 -22 28 27 1.2272 2.2369 172.0 3.6 5.7

2011 08 02 21 10 46.0 -22 36 24 1.2273 2.2377 172.7 3.3 5.7

2011 08 03 21 09 49.6 -22 44 16 1.2276 2.2386 173.2 3.1 5.6

2011 08 04 21 08 53.0 -22 52 02 1.2282 2.2394 173.6 2.9 5.6

2011 08 05 21 07 56.1 -22 59 43 1.2290 2.2403 173.7 2.8 5.6

2011 08 06 21 06 59.2 -23 07 17 1.2301 2.2411 173.7 2.9 5.6

2011 08 07 21 06 02.1 -23 14 43 1.2314 2.2420 173.4 3.0 5.6

2011 08 08 21 05 05.1 -23 22 03 1.2330 2.2428 172.9 3.2 5.7

2011 08 09 21 04 08.3 -23 29 14 1.2348 2.2437 172.2 3.5 5.7

2011 08 10 21 03 11.7 -23 36 18 1.2369 2.2445 171.5 3.8 5.7

2011 08 11 21 02 15.4 -23 43 12 1.2392 2.2454 170.6 4.2 5.7

2011 08 12 21 01 19.4 -23 49 57 1.2418 2.2463 169.7 4.6 5.7

2011 08 13 21 00 23.9 -23 56 33 1.2446 2.2471 168.8 5.0 5.8

2011 08 14 20 59 29.0 -24 03 00 1.2477 2.2480 167.7 5.5 5.8

2011 08 15 20 58 34.7 -24 09 16 1.2510 2.2489 166.7 5.9 5.8

2011 08 16 20 57 41.1 -24 15 22 1.2545 2.2498 165.7 6.4 5.8

2011 08 17 20 56 48.3 -24 21 17 1.2583 2.2506 164.6 6.9 5.9

2011 08 18 20 55 56.3 -24 27 02 1.2623 2.2515 163.5 7.3 5.9

2011 08 19 20 55 05.3 -24 32 35 1.2666 2.2524 162.4 7.8 5.9

2011 08 20 20 54 15.2 -24 37 57 1.2711 2.2533 161.3 8.3 5.9

2011 08 21 20 53 26.2 -24 43 08 1.2758 2.2542 160.3 8.7 6.0

2011 08 22 20 52 38.4 -24 48 07 1.2808 2.2551 159.2 9.2 6.0

2011 08 23 20 51 51.8 -24 52 55 1.2859 2.2560 158.1 9.6 6.0

2011 08 24 20 51 06.4 -24 57 30 1.2914 2.2568 157.0 10.1 6.0

2011 08 25 20 50 22.4 -25 01 54 1.2970 2.2577 155.9 10.6 6.1

2011 08 26 20 49 39.8 -25 06 05 1.3028 2.2586 154.8 11.0 6.1

2011 08 27 20 48 58.6 -25 10 04 1.3089 2.2595 153.7 11.4 6.1

2011 08 28 20 48 18.9 -25 13 51 1.3152 2.2604 152.6 11.9 6.1

2011 08 29 20 47 40.8 -25 17 26 1.3217 2.2614 151.5 12.3 6.2

2011 08 30 20 47 04.3 -25 20 49 1.3284 2.2623 150.4 12.7 6.2

2011 08 31 20 46 29.5 -25 23 59 1.3353 2.2632 149.3 13.2 6.2

2011 09 01 20 45 56.4 -25 26 57 1.3425 2.2641 148.3 13.6 6.2

2011 09 02 20 45 25.0 -25 29 43 1.3498 2.2650 147.2 14.0 6.3

2011 09 03 20 44 55.4 -25 32 17 1.3573 2.2659 146.1 14.4 6.3

2011 09 04 20 44 27.7 -25 34 39 1.3650 2.2668 145.1 14.8 6.3

2011 09 05 20 44 01.7 -25 36 49 1.3729 2.2677 144.0 15.1 6.3

2011 09 06 20 43 37.6 -25 38 47 1.3810 2.2687 143.0 15.5 6.4

2011 09 07 20 43 15.4 -25 40 33 1.3892 2.2696 142.0 15.9 6.4

2011 09 08 20 42 55.0 -25 42 08 1.3976 2.2705 140.9 16.2 6.4

2011 09 09 20 42 36.6 -25 43 32 1.4062 2.2714 139.9 16.6 6.4

2011 09 10 20 42 20.1 -25 44 44 1.4150 2.2724 138.9 16.9 6.5

2011 09 11 20 42 05.5 -25 45 46 1.4239 2.2733 137.9 17.3 6.5

2011 09 12 20 41 52.8 -25 46 36 1.4330 2.2742 136.9 17.6 6.5

2011 09 13 20 41 42.1 -25 47 16 1.4423 2.2752 135.9 17.9 6.5

2011 09 14 20 41 33.3 -25 47 45 1.4517 2.2761 134.9 18.3 6.5

2011 09 15 20 41 26.4 -25 48 04 1.4613 2.2770 133.9 18.6 6.6

2011 09 16 20 41 21.4 -25 48 12 1.4710 2.2780 132.9 18.9 6.6

2011 09 17 20 41 18.4 -25 48 10 1.4808 2.2789 131.9 19.2 6.6

2011 09 18 20 41 17.3 -25 47 58 1.4908 2.2799 131.0 19.4 6.6

2011 09 19 20 41 18.1 -25 47 36 1.5009 2.2808 130.0 19.7 6.7

2011 09 20 20 41 20.8 -25 47 04 1.5112 2.2817 129.1 20.0 6.7

2011 09 21 20 41 25.4 -25 46 23 1.5216 2.2827 128.1 20.2 6.7

2011 09 22 20 41 31.9 -25 45 32 1.5322 2.2836 127.2 20.5 6.7

2011 09 23 20 41 40.4 -25 44 31 1.5428 2.2846 126.3 20.7 6.8

2011 09 24 20 41 50.6 -25 43 22 1.5536 2.2855 125.3 21.0 6.8

2011 09 25 20 42 02.8 -25 42 03 1.5645 2.2865 124.4 21.2 6.8

2011 09 26 20 42 16.8 -25 40 35 1.5755 2.2874 123.5 21.4 6.8

2011 09 27 20 42 32.6 -25 38 59 1.5866 2.2884 122.6 21.7 6.8

2011 09 28 20 42 50.2 -25 37 13 1.5979 2.2894 121.7 21.9 6.9

2011 09 29 20 43 09.7 -25 35 19 1.6092 2.2903 120.8 22.1 6.9

2011 09 30 20 43 31.0 -25 33 17 1.6207 2.2913 119.9 22.3 6.9

2011 10 01 20 43 54.0 -25 31 06 1.6322 2.2922 119.0 22.5 6.9

2011 10 02 20 44 18.7 -25 28 47 1.6439 2.2932 118.2 22.6 7.0

2011 10 03 20 44 45.2 -25 26 19 1.6556 2.2942 117.3 22.8 7.0

2011 10 04 20 45 13.4 -25 23 44 1.6674 2.2951 116.4 23.0 7.0

2011 10 05 20 45 43.2 -25 21 01 1.6794 2.2961 115.6 23.1 7.0

2011 10 06 20 46 14.7 -25 18 11 1.6913 2.2971 114.7 23.3 7.0

2011 10 07 20 46 47.8 -25 15 12 1.7034 2.2980 113.9 23.4 7.1

2011 10 08 20 47 22.5 -25 12 07 1.7156 2.2990 113.1 23.6 7.1

2011 10 09 20 47 58.8 -25 08 54 1.7278 2.3000 112.2 23.7 7.1

2011 10 10 20 48 36.6 -25 05 34 1.7401 2.3009 111.4 23.8 7.1

2011 10 11 20 49 15.9 -25 02 06 1.7525 2.3019 110.6 24.0 7.1

2011 10 12 20 49 56.7 -24 58 32 1.7649 2.3029 109.8 24.1 7.2

2011 10 13 20 50 38.9 -24 54 50 1.7774 2.3038 109.0 24.2 7.2

2011 10 14 20 51 22.6 -24 51 02 1.7899 2.3048 108.2 24.3 7.2

2011 10 15 20 52 07.7 -24 47 07 1.8026 2.3058 107.4 24.4 7.2

2011 10 16 20 52 54.2 -24 43 05 1.8152 2.3068 106.6 24.5 7.2

2011 10 17 20 53 42.0 -24 38 57 1.8280 2.3077 105.8 24.6 7.2

2011 10 18 20 54 31.2 -24 34 42 1.8407 2.3087 105.0 24.6 7.3

2011 10 19 20 55 21.6 -24 30 20 1.8536 2.3097 104.2 24.7 7.3

2011 10 20 20 56 13.4 -24 25 52 1.8664 2.3107 103.4 24.8 7.3

2011 10 21 20 57 06.4 -24 21 17 1.8794 2.3117 102.7 24.9 7.3

2011 10 22 20 58 00.7 -24 16 37 1.8923 2.3126 101.9 24.9 7.3

2011 10 23 20 58 56.2 -24 11 49 1.9054 2.3136 101.1 25.0 7.3

2011 10 24 20 59 52.9 -24 06 56 1.9184 2.3146 100.4 25.0 7.4

2011 10 25 21 00 50.7 -24 01 56 1.9315 2.3156 99.6 25.1 7.4

2011 10 26 21 01 49.8 -23 56 51 1.9446 2.3166 98.9 25.1 7.4

2011 10 27 21 02 49.9 -23 51 39 1.9578 2.3176 98.1 25.1 7.4

2011 10 28 21 03 51.2 -23 46 21 1.9710 2.3185 97.4 25.2 7.4

2011 10 29 21 04 53.6 -23 40 57 1.9842 2.3195 96.6 25.2 7.4

2011 10 30 21 05 57.0 -23 35 27 1.9974 2.3205 95.9 25.2 7.5

2011 10 31 21 07 01.5 -23 29 51 2.0107 2.3215 95.2 25.2 7.5

2011 11 01 21 08 07.0 -23 24 10 2.0239 2.3225 94.5 25.2 7.5

2011 11 02 21 09 13.4 -23 18 23 2.0372 2.3235 93.7 25.2 7.5

2011 11 03 21 10 20.9 -23 12 30 2.0505 2.3245 93.0 25.2 7.5

2011 11 04 21 11 29.3 -23 06 32 2.0639 2.3255 92.3 25.2 7.5

2011 11 05 21 12 38.6 -23 00 28 2.0772 2.3264 91.6 25.2 7.6

2011 11 06 21 13 48.8 -22 54 19 2.0905 2.3274 90.9 25.2 7.6

2011 11 07 21 14 59.9 -22 48 04 2.1039 2.3284 90.2 25.2 7.6


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Date:
RE: Vesta
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New views of the second-biggest asteroid in the solar system are giving astronomers a better sense of how the object spins -- information that will come in handy when a NASA spacecraft arrives at the space rock July 2011.
The images, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, show the asteroid Vesta, a large space rock in the asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
NASA researchers combined 216 new photos into a video of Vesta as it rotates once every 5.34 hours.

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New glimpse of Vesta

What now looks like a blurry potato should, within nine months, blossom into detailed pictures of Vesta, the brightest asteroid in the sky. This view is one of several taken by the Hubble telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 to provide a better look at the space rock before the arrival of the Dawn spacecraft in July 2011.
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of the large asteroid Vesta that will help refine plans for the Dawn spacecraft's rendezvous with Vesta in July 2011.
Scientists have constructed a video from the images that will help improve pointing instructions for Dawn as it is placed in a polar orbit around Vesta. Analyses of Hubble images revealed a pole orientation, or tilt, of approximately four degrees more to the asteroid's east than scientists previously thought.

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Ephemeris
Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase     V
2010 02 05 10 30.33 +17 56.0 1.453 2.408 161.6 7.4 6.3
2010 02 10 10 26.16 +18 38.9 1.432 2.403 166.7 5.4 6.2
2010 02 15 10 21.59 +19 21.4 1.419 2.399 170.6 3.9 6.1
2010 02 20 10 16.77 +20 02.1 1.412 2.394 171.0 3.7 6.1
2010 02 25 10 11.86 +20 39.8 1.413 2.389 167.6 5.1 6.2
2010 03 02 10 07.06 +21 13.5 1.420 2.384 162.6 7.1 6.3


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Tatahouine meteorite
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Diogenite - ADIO
Tunisia

While 99.8% of all meteorites originate from the vast area between
Mars and Jupiter referred to as the asteroid belt, Tatahouine is one of
the few meteorites known which possesses a specific address of origin
(the other noteworthy examples being Martian meteorites and
samples of the Moon). Diogenites are an exotic meteorite class that
scientists believe originated from the asteroid Vesta, and Tatahouine
is a one-of-a-kind diogenite.
On July 27, 1931 just outside the Tunisian town of Foum
Tatahouine, a meteorite descending through the atmosphere exploded
into thousands of small fragments, most of which weighed less than
one gram. The specimen offered here-collected by noted French
meteoriticist Dr. Alain Carion and his son, Louis-is an exception.
Given its distinctively olive green matrix, striated black shock veins
and accretions of shock melt, there is no other meteorite that looks
remotely like Tatahouine.

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RE: Vesta
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Title: Asteroid colours: a novel tool for magnetic field detection?  The case of Vesta
Authors: P. Vernazza1, R. Brunetto, G. Strazzulla, M. Fulchignoni, P. Rochette, N. Meyer-Vernet and I. Zouganelis1

Aims. Vesta's surface is surprisingly pristine. Although its basaltic surface is roughly similar to the lunar surface, which is intensely space weathered, its surface remains unaltered. It has been shown recently that solar-wind irradiation dominates asteroidal space weathering with a timescale on the order 10^4-10^6 years. Recent ion irradiation experiments on pyroxenes have shown significant reddening and darkening of the collected spectra with progressive irradiation. Since pyroxene is a major surface component of Vesta as determined by spectroscopy, we aimed to test whether the solar wind irradiation alters significantly the optical properties of the surface of Vesta.
Methods. Consequently, we performed an ion irradiation experiment on a eucrite meteorite, which characterises the surface of Vesta well, in order to simulate the solar wind irradiation on this asteroid.
Results. Our result implies that, if solar wind ions do reach the surface of Vesta, its reflectance spectrum should be much redder and its albedo lower. Indeed, this implies that solar wind particles can not have reached the asteroid surface. This strongly suggests the presence of a magnetic field shielding the surface from solar wind ions. This is the first remote detection of the magnetic field of an asteroid based on its colour.

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Getting to Know Vesta
--- Scientists are primed with geochemical data from HED meteorites for Dawn's encounter with asteroid 4 Vesta.

The howardite-eucrite-diogenite class of meteorites (called the HEDs) are rocks formed from basaltic magmas. What makes them special is that the HEDs have reflectance spectra in the visible and near-infrared that match spectra from asteroid 4 Vesta, implying Vesta is their parent body. We will soon have new data from Vesta from NASA's Dawn orbiting spacecraft, which carries a gamma ray and neutron detector, dubbed the GRaND instrument. GRaND will orbit asteroid 4 Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres and map the near-surface abundances of major and minor elements, and volatiles found in ices (in the case of Ceres) such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. Tomohiro Usui and Harry Y. (Hap) McSween, Jr. (University of Tennessee) have proposed a way to interpret the upcoming GRaND data from Vesta based on well-analysed samples of HED meteorites and a mixing model they devised that uses element ratios of the three expected rock types. In turn, the new data from Vesta may help scientists better understand the geologic context for HED meteorites.

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