Asgardia Space News 7/8/2018
Astronomers have reported that an enormous asteroid approximately the width of Arizona, currently appears so bright in the night sky that it’s possible to see it without the use of any telescopes or binoculars.
This space rock, called 4 Vesta, or simply Vesta, has a diameter of about 326 miles and is the second most massive body in the main asteroid belt—a vast disc of material that orbits the Sun between the paths of Mars and Jupiter.
Vesta takes its name from the goddess of the home and family in Roman mythology and has an especially reflective surface that makes it seem brighter than any other asteroid.
Presently, Vesta will seem even more bright as it comes closer to Earth than it has in 20 years (to date it is about 106 million miles from Earth). Luckily, there is no chance it will collide with Earth.
Robert Massey, from the Royal Astronomical Society, told Newsweek that stargazers will be able to view it in both the northern and southern hemispheres until about July 16 or 17 but only as a point of light, and only in dark skies. For the best viewing, binoculars or telescopes are recommended, however, it is possible to see it with the naked eye.
Vesta will appear near the constellation Sagittarius until June 28, after which it will move into the vicinity of the constellation Ophiuchus.
The asteroid is so big, that it accounts for almost 9 percent of the total mass of all asteroids in the asteroid belt, with only the dwarf planet Ceres being even bigger, as reported by NASA.
More:
https://asgardiaspacenews.com/largest-asteroid-nearing-earth/
