Photo Agency - Astronomy - Space - Nature

> Asteroid Vesta compared to other asteroids

Asteroid Vesta compared to other asteroids

author: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/Novapix

reference: a-ast04-00102

Image Size 300 DPI: 31 * 25 cm

This composite image shows the comparative sizes of nine asteroids. Up until now, Lutetia, with a diameter of 81 miles (130 kilometers), was the largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft, which occurred during a flyby. Vesta, which is also considered a protoplanet because it's a large body that almost became a planet, dwarfs all other small bodies in this image, with its diameter sizing up at approximately 330 miles (530 kilometers).

Keywords for this photo:

2011 - ANNEFRANK - ASTEROID - ASTEROID BELT - ASTRONOMY - COMPARISON - DAWN - EROS - GASPRA - IDA - IMPACT CRATER - ITOKAWA - LUTETIA - MATHILDE - SCALE - SIZE - STEINS - VESTA -