Home > Asteroid, Ephemeris Program, NASA, Space exploration > 07/18/11 – Ephemeris – Dawn orbits Vesta

07/18/11 – Ephemeris – Dawn orbits Vesta

July 18, 2011

Monday, July 18th.  Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 9:22.   The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 10:49 this evening.  Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:15.

Two days ago the Dawn spacecraft dropped into orbit of the asteroid Vesta.  After nearly four years, most of it thrusting its ion engine, Dawn slipped into orbit of this 320 mile diameter asteroid.  It will spend the next year photographing, and scanning the chemical composition of this second largest and brightest of the asteroids.  It will slowly spiral closer to Vesta for a closer look.  Also the change in velocity of the spacecraft as it orbits Vesta will give clues to the asteroid’s internal structure.  Also to be closely monitored will be the large crater near Vesta’s south pole.  An impact here less than a billion years ago spread debris throughout the inner solar system.  Many of the meteorites on the earth have been traced to Vesta.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

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