When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An image of Vesta captured as NASA's Dawn spacecraft retreated ...

For years, astronomers treated Vesta as more than just an asteroid. With its rocky surface, distinct layers, and volcanic history, it seemed to be a miniature version of Earth—something between a rock ...

The asteroid Vesta could be a huge chunk of planet that was blasted off its parent world and sent spinning into space in the aftermath of a titanic collision four-and-a-half billion years ago. That's ...

For decades, scientists believed Vesta, one of the largest objects in our solar system's asteroid belt, wasn't just an asteroid and eventually concluded it was more like a planet with a crust, mantle ...

The correlation between gravity and gravity from shape, and effective density. Credit: Nature Astronomy (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-025-02533-7 For decades, scientists believed Vesta, one of the ...

Vesta won't reach opposition with Earth again until Oct. 13, 2026. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. On Friday, May 2 the asteroid ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. – For decades, scientists believed Vesta, one of the largest objects in our solar system’s asteroid belt, wasn’t just an asteroid. They concluded that Vesta has a crust, mantle and ...

An alternate explanation that fits the evidence is that Vesta was once part of a planet – but which planet that might been remains a mystery. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn ...