On Friday, May 2, the Asteroid Vesta will reach the opposition, marking the ideal period to detect the second largest asteroid orbiting in the rock belt of the rubble located between Mars and Jupiter.
It is considered that a body of the solar system is “in opposition” when it is located at the opposite point in the sky in relation to the sun from the perspective of the earth, which allows the sun to illuminate it from our perspective. The alignment duration periods, the asteroid or heavenly body in question is partially brilliant, which makes the ideal astronomical observation conditions.
However, given its magnitude of around +5.7, Vesta will be a challenge to detect with the naked eye, only in areas of dark sky. However, as explained by NASA, a previous opposition, the asteroid must be easily detectable with the help of binocular or, but will be detectable as a bright light point with the help of binoculars or a telescope. Grateful that the moon remains a tiny crescent in the western night sky, so it will run into relatively little, while looking for the distant asteroid.
Vesta will arrive at the point of the opposition at 07:58 EDT (11:58:58 GMT) on May 2, Choise to the Stargazing website in-The-Sky.org, at which time the sun will be the sun and the asteroid will be under the horizon for those based in the United States.
But Vesta will appear in the night sky later that night. The spectators in New York will have the opportunity to see Vesta near the opposition after the sun sets on May 2. The asteroid will reach its highest point in the night sky approximately one hour after midnight, local time 4 45 Degh Hore Horb.
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To find Vesta on the night of May 2, you must first look at the southeast horizon after sunset, and locate the LIBRA constellation, using a Stargazing application. Then, find the brightest star in that constellation: a blue dwarf star called Zubeneschamali. Less than 10 degrees (approximately the width of a fist at the length of the arm) to the upper right of Zubeneschamali you will find Vesta, very close to the faint magnitude +4.5 stars 16 pound.
Vesta has a series of characteristics that work in their favor when it comes to their visibility in the night sky. On the one hand, it has a diameter or 330 miles (530 km), which makes it the second largest asteroid in the main asteroid belt, only only from the dwarf planet Ceres. Its surface is also highly reflective in relation to other main belt asteroids.
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft arrived in Orbit around Vesta in July 2011, and spent approximately one year collecting data on the composition of the asteroid, geology, craters and innumerable other features before leaving in an appointment course with Ceres. Vesta data has led countless discoveries that surround the history and training of Vesta, and scientists continue to be spilled today.
Unfortunately, no more missions have been announced to meet Vesta, so the best way to obtain new and new asteroid views is through a telescope. Vesta will not reach the opposition with the Earth again until October 13, 2026, so be sure to leave and take a look at the distant asteroid before the orbital moment escapes.
If you are looking for a telescope or binocular to observe Vesta and other objects of the solar system, our guides for the best binocular offers and the best telescope offers can now help. Our guides in the best astrophotography cameras and the best astrophotography lenses can also help you prepare to capture the next opposition and innumerable other views of observation of the sky.
