vesta

Vesta is the Roman goddess of the hearth, home, and family, one of the principal deities in ancient Roman religion. She personified sacred fire and was venerated by the Vestal Virgins, priestesses who tended the eternal flame in her temple.

In astronomy, Vesta commonly refers to 4 Vesta, the brightest asteroid in the inner asteroid belt and one of the largest bodies there. It was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers in 1807 and named after the goddess. Vesta is about 525 kilometers in diameter and is linked to a family of meteorites known as HED (Howardite, Eucrite, Diogenite), which are thought to originate from its crust.

Observations from NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which orbited Vesta in 2011–2012, showed that it is a differentiated body with a crust, mantle, and a likely metallic core. The surface features several large impact basins, including Rheasilvia, roughly 500 kilometers across, with an elevated central peak. The surface is dominated by basaltic rocks, indicating extensive volcanic activity in its early history.

Vesta plays a significant role in astronomical naming conventions and serves as a key reference point for understanding the early solar system and planetary differentiation. The study of Vesta and its meteorites provides insights into crust formation and magma processes of rocky bodies.