Vesta's Shape and Morphology

Vesta's surface is characterized by abundant impact craters, some with preserved ejecta blankets, large troughs extending around the equatorial region, enigmatic dark material, and widespread mass wasting, but as yet an absence of volcanic features. Abundant steep slopes indicate that impact-ge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2012-05, Vol.336 (6082), p.687-690
Main Authors: Jaumann, R., Williams, D. A., Buczkowski, D. L., Yingst, R. A., Preusker, F., Hiesinger, H., Schmedemann, N., Kneissl, T., Vincent, J. B., Blewett, D. T., Buratti, B. J., Carsenty, U., Denevi, B. W., De Sanctis, M. C., Garry, W. B., Keller, H. U., Kersten, E., Krohn, K., Li, J.-Y., Marchi, S., Matz, K. D., McCord, T. B., McSween, H. Y., Mest, S. C., Mittlefehldt, D. W., Mottola, S., Nathues, A., Neukum, G., O'Brien, D. P., Pieters, C. M., Prettyman, T. H., Raymond, C. A., Roatsch, T., Russell, C. T., Schenk, P., Schmidt, B. E., Scholten, F., Stephan, K., Sykes, M. V., Tricarico, P., Wagner, R., Zuber, M. T., Sierks, H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asteroids
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Basins
Bedrock
Displays
Ejecta
Equatorial regions
Geomorphology
Impact basins
Impact craters
Meteorite craters
Meteorites
Planet formation
Planetary science
Planets
Scarps
Slopes
Solar system
Spacecraft orbits
Terrestrial planets
Topography
Vesta asteroid
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Description
Summary:Vesta's surface is characterized by abundant impact craters, some with preserved ejecta blankets, large troughs extending around the equatorial region, enigmatic dark material, and widespread mass wasting, but as yet an absence of volcanic features. Abundant steep slopes indicate that impact-generated surface regolith is underlain by bedrock. Dawn observations confirm the large impact basin (Rheasilvia) at Vesta's south pole and reveal evidence for an earlier, underlying large basin (Veneneia). Vesta's geology displays morphological features characteristic of the Moon and terrestrial planets as well as those of other asteroids, underscoring Vesta's unique role as a transitional solar system body.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1219122