Asteroid 4 Vesta Observation Details
Vesta Daily Motion
Vesta will rise before twilight begins, at 19:02, and will reach 35° elevation by the time twilight commences at 22:27. It will reach its transit at 46° by 00:48 and gradually fade away as the night ends at 04:28, maintaining an elevation of around 23°.4 Vesta will be visible until August, 2, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.
Vesta Visibility Timetable on May 13
Vesta Rise and Set Timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Vesta rise | 19:02 | |
| Sunset | 20:36 | 18° |
| Moon Rise, 99.7% illuminated | 21:05 | 23° |
| Civil sunset | 21:08 | 23° |
| Astrosession begin | 22:27 | 35° |
| Vesta transit | 00:48 | 46° |
| Astrosession end | 04:28 | 23° |
| Civil sunrise | 05:47 | 9° |
| Sunrise | 06:19 | 3° |
| Moon Set | 06:25 | 2° |
| Vesta set | 06:34 |
Track Vesta Position Throughout the Night
← Tue, 13 May 2025 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Shift the map to change the time and observe Vesta changing position in the night sky.
Vesta Description
Vesta, designated as 4 Vesta, is a main-belt asteroid, located between Mars and Jupiter in the solar system. With a diameter of 526 km, 4 Vesta completes its orbit around the Sun in 3.6 years. At the moment, 4 Vesta is 1.188 AU (177,722,270 km) from Earth, and it is located in the constellation Virgo.Current position of Vesta in Solar System
| Date | Tue, 13 May 2025 |
| Distance from Earth to Vesta | 1.188 AU (177,722,270km) |
| Elongation | 163° |
| Angular diameter | " |
| Magnitude | 5.76 |
Finder Chart for Vesta
Double-click to unlock the map.
| Object name | 4 Vesta |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| 4 Vesta coordinates | 14.683231791077, -3.8863465825863 |
| Center coordinates | 14.683231791077, -3.8863465825863 |
Annual motion of Vesta
| Date | Wed, 14 May 2025 |
| Twighlight start | 22:24 |
| Twighlight end | 04:22 |
| Twighlight duration | 6h 58m |
| Rise | 18:57 |
| Set | 06:29 |
| Elevation at transit | 46° |
| Transit time | 00:43 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 14h 40m 04s", Dec: -3° 52' 27s |
| Magnitude | 6 |
| Constellation | Virgo |
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a Vesta, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Vesta is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Vesta is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for providing essential data on asteroids and comets through their Small-Body Database (SBDB) and Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). Their continuous efforts in tracking and cataloging these celestial bodies make it possible to offer accurate and up-to-date information on their positions, orbits, and physical characteristics.