The asteroid Vesta was first discovered two centuries ago, but until NASA’s Dawn spacecraft arrived there earlier this year and began beaming back images and data, Vesta was seen as just another blurry, rocky satellite out there orbiting in the asteroid belt. Now, with Dawn’s instruments giving researchers their first really good look at Vesta’s composition and surface features, some astronomers are wondering if perhaps they haven’t discovered a small terrestrial planet rather than an asteroid.
The distinction between “dwarf planet” and “asteroid” is a bit nebulous and ultimately up to the International Astronomical Union. But in a post here last week we noted that the composition of Vesta is actually very similar to Earth’s--with separated layers like a core, mantle, and crust--suggesting that at one point in Vesta’s past it had a hot molten core that caused heavier materials (like iron) to sink inward while lighter materials flowed to the top.
This process is called differentiation, and it occurred on all of the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) in our solar system. Topographic characteristics like huge mountains and valleys, ridges, craters, and plains are lending further credence to this analysis. All told, Dawn researchers believe Vesta formed more like a terrestrial planet than the average asteroid.That formation would’ve happened about 4.5 billion years ago at the same time the rest of the planets were forming. As Jupiter gathered mass, the gravity it exerted on the asteroid belt interfered with the coalescing of material there. Vesta was probably on its way to becoming a terrestrial planet before its growth was stunted. Still, it differentiated in its early life just like a planet, and the Dawn team is now looking for volcanoes and lava flows that it thinks were once present on Vesta’s surface (not to belabor the point, but the presence of volcanoes would be super Earth-like).
All that points to the possibility that Vesta could be reclassified as a dwarf planet, joining the likes of Pluto and Ceres--another asteroid belt dweller already classified as a dwarf planet and the a research target for Dawn starting in 2015.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
looks like planet X is getting closer as 2012 approaches.
_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.
- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri
Wonder whai its' orbit looks like?
Wonder what its' orbit looks like?
@JediMindseet
What movie is that from?
@pheonix1012,
from no movie. this is a fact that most scholars agree with. David Wilcock is a genius.
_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.
- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri
I KNEW IT. There ARE nine planets!
OMGOMG Maybe JUST MAYBE!!!!! This planet went up to PLUTO and was like HEY YO you need to move over cuz like I need to be a planet but umm you gotta disguise me for a bit so I will not look one for a few more years then BAM we will be like BOOM BIATCH!! I AM A PLANET THEN WILL GET THOSE BIATCHS!!!! FOR DOWNGRADING YOU!!!!!!
@JediMindset
That was a joke. I thought I already explained that Pluto is the historically proclaimed Planet X and that there is no real significance to 2012 other than the turnover of the Mayan calendar on December 21 and the U.S. Presidential election.
End of the world prophecies are for feebly primitive minds and Hollywood marketing campaigns, and Planet X as a planetary designation for an unknown world in this solar system is outdated context. Besides this rock has a name. It's Vesta. It's not classified outside of an asteroid yet, let alone would it be anything of Planet X, because we discovered that already.
@JediMindset
If in fact you weren't joking, cite sources next time. "most scholars" warrants AT LEAST a thorough review....
@masamune2823
lol trollolicous
Jedimindset,
You definetly got the people commenting today, well done.
I do believe there is a planet X. Why not! Planet x to me is just another mystery of our solar system and we continue to get surprised all the time. So actually their could be many planet x's and other things.
Decemeber 12 2012 is a completely different subject.
.............................
Science sees no further than what it can sense.
Religion sees beyond the senses.
@everyone laughing,
laugh all you want but when the annunaki return to get back what is rightfully theirs don't come to me for help. look at my notes-
http://andromida.hubpages.com/slide/annunaki/3304790
clearly shows the location of the 12th planet Nibiru.
read the following for more info - http://andromida.hubpages.com/hub/annunaki
thanks for time!
_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.
- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri
JediMindset,
I believe much history and archeology and culture points to earth being visited by an outer space source from the past. But the down side is, this history is so old and contaminated from humans it is vague to truly understanding. But our science is getting better. I am hopeful one day we will stumble across some real scientific facts.
If the true known location of planet x or Nibiru, I would think we would listen for its communications, point our observatories at it, send probes to it, something scientific and tangible. I wonder why science has not done that yet.
I hope you do not respond with a conspiracy there now.
@JediMindset
You do know that you're into pseudoscience right? It's inconsistent too. The December 21, 2012 date correlates to a turn over in the Mayan calendar. It has nothing to do with the end of the world.
As for Niburu, the concept is of Babylonian origin. Niburu is actually associated with the Marduk, an early Mesopotamian god. The idea of Niburu as a planet came from Zecharia Sitchin, a pseudoscientist who used his findings of Babylonian myth and translated them into actualities based on his own interpretations (basically he pulled this stuff out of his own head, or rather his own a##). He theorized that a world once existed between Mars and Jupiter (of extra solar origin) that had thriving life. It's orbit was then disrupted by a large planet or stellar celestial body (i.e. star or stellar dwarf), also carrying extra celestial body of comparable size that collided with Tiamat (Planet W to Niburu's Planet X) subsequently creating the asteroid belt, Earth's moon, and the inclination this planet rest on. This all supposedly happened 65 million to 4 billion years ago.
Both of these concepts are misconstrued for the purpose of validifying baseless conspiracy theories of martial law brought on by the legendary new world order. Nothing more is going to happen on December 21, 2012 but the beginning of another mad Christmas rush that will claim the lives of dozens to zero. As for an extra solar object in this galaxy colliding with planetismals during the early creation of the solar system is only theoretical, not fact. Plus, a planet with an orbital period of 3,600 years is highly unlikely. A planet with that long of an orbital period would have to have a perihelion distance that expands towards interstellar space. At that distance, compared to a aphelion in the inner asteroid belt, it would be bound to be ejected out of the solar system rather than still be bound to orbit the sun, otherwise it would have been swallowed by the sun along time ago. Happens to comets all the time.
Well this was a fun jaunt into the ridiculous, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself and the reminder of why it's always good to be skeptical and seek fact rather than truth. Don't mean to put you down. I only mean to spread the wealth of knowledge that's out there. Besides, fact can be twice as fun as fiction if not moreso. It's the pretending we have a finite understand of things where the fun comes in. With fiction you just have the false postulations of someone elses mind. With fact you can come up with your own based on what you know, observe, and test. Of course we call that theory.
@GeeWillikers,
i strongly agree with what you say and propose, but the truth is that we probably already done it and the government doesn't want the public to know the truth.
_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.
- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri
@pheonix1012, i understand that the earth doesn't end on that date. if anything its a "rebirth" of some sort. thanks for all the insight, and for not approaching my theory with hate and prejudice.
_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.
- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri
JediMindset,
The Mayan believes in a circle of life and yes a rebirth. I am optimistic of December 12 2012. It is not a end date, but a wonderful promising new beginning!
The Egyptians and Sumerians’ had the same belief of cycles and rebirth!
I also like a Matriarch society verse a Patriarch, but that is me.
@GeeWillikers.
yes and im pretty sure all these cultures are some way connected since there were all cosmic intellects. also very precise with their math. maybe the pyramids have something to do with it. the largest pyramid in Mexico has the same diameter as the Great Pyramid of Giza. coincidence? or maybe the "gods" had something to do with it. surly connected with aliens.
"religion is like a prison for the seekers of wisdom"
-Killah Priest
I can't really be certain on this, and Im definitely no expert, but I think the two cultures may have believed in cycles because of the seasons (or the cycle of the moon or the cycle of the sun or the cycle of.. well, you get the picture). And their "cosmic intellect" may have something to do with that big blue sky up there, which happens to have stars -- I think both cultures had access to the sky.
Not sure, though.
Humour aside, all cultures have some relationship to cosmic phenomenon, cycles and math. Why? Because they're everywhere, and until modern science, they've been largely unknown (sure, some cultures calculated orbital periods, but not many that I know of knew the percentage of hydrogen to helium inside the sun...). It only makes sense to take natural but otherwise unexplainable phenomenon and generate stories around them; every culture everywhere has done that.
As for the same diameter? According to Wikipedia (yep, I went there):
Great Pyramid of Giza: 230.4 metres on each side
Great Pyramid of Cholula: 400 metres on each side
So, kinda close, I guess. Unless you're thinking of some other Mexican pyramid, in which case finding two pyramids built anywhere arbitrarily around the world with the same (approximate) dimensions isn't particularly a daunting challenge. There's a lot of pyramids in the world..
So unless there's a physical law I'm unaware of indicating no two pyramids can be built with the same dimensions unless designed by aliens, I don't see any connection particularly noteworthy.
It never fails to amaze me why we can't simply accept that human ingenuity and perseverence are sufficient to create immense, monumental, breathtaking and truly beautiful creations, such as the pyramids. Why is it necessary to call upon some majestic power, as if to say "we humans are far too weak to have created that?"
We can, and we did.
@Canadian_Skeptic,
that's just it, we didn't have the tools or "power" or intelligence to make structures that big. haha why hasn't any society built one since? because they cant. they tried and say they would take a long time. aliens played a big part in the past. they are our "ancestors". why do you think they were so obsessed with the sky? they question where they came from.
"religion is like a prison for the seekers of wisdom"
-Killah Priest
I love when folks like Jedi think it's a valid argument to ignore the data and say "this problem is too tough, I don't understand it; therefore aliens."