(4) Vesta, the brightest asteroid at opposition: an image – 2 May 2025.
We imaged asteroid (4) Vesta at opposition: it is the brightest minor planet, barely visible to the naked eye under dark skies.
Asteroid (4) Vesta. 2 May 2025.
The image above comes from a single 30-second exposure, remotely taken with the ARTEC250+Paramount ME+C3Pro61000EC robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy, under the darkest skies of the Italian peninsula.
Asteroid (4) Vesta is the bright object in the center of the image, which was captured on the night the object was at opposition, that is when it is visible from Earth on the opposite direction than the Sun. It was discovered in 1807 by H. W. M. Olbers from Bremen. Around the time of its opposition, the minor planet is barely visible to the naked eye, provided the sky is very dark, with no Moon interference and no light pollution. It is the brightest asteroid on average, in 2029 it will be surpassed by (99942) Apophis, because of the exceptionally close encounter of that NEA. Vesta, one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, measures about 525 km across and is notable for its partially differentiated structure.
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