Vesta: A Major Discovery in the Asteroid Belt Year Found: 1807
Found By: Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers
Location: Asteroid Belt
Vesta is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt and was named after the Roman goddess of home and heart. The discovery of Vesta was made by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers in 1807.
Vesta: The Brightest Asteroid Visible from Earth Source: ©Photo 12/Alamy
Vesta is the most brilliant asteroid visible from Earth, often faint enough to be seen with the naked eye, reaching brightness levels as bright as magnitude 5.1. Although it orbits the Sun entirely within the orbit of Ceres, Vesta's maximum distance from the Sun is slightly greater than Ceres' minimum distance.
