Vesta

Vesta was the fourth asteroid discovered, by Heinrich Olbers, in 1807.  It is about 530 Km (325 miles) in size, and comes within 2.15 AU of the sun when closest.  Thus, at opposition, when closest to the sun, it is just over 100 million miles from earth.  Although much smaller than Ceres, its high albedo gives it a much higher visual magnitude than would otherwise be the case, and it can reach a maximum of about 5.3 when conditions are just right. I have three images of Vesta below.

Image taken April 9th, 2003, about 11:00 p.m., with Fuji 800 color negative in the Nikon shooting through the 135mm F:2.8 lens, wide open.  Exposure was 60 seconds.  The asteroid is in northern Virgo, just south of the most dense portion of the great Virgo galaxy cluster.   The brighter of the two stars just left of Vesta is 20 Virgo.  Visual magnitude was about 6.1 when this picture was taken.

Image taken May 27, 2007, about 10:30 MDT with the 402 camera and the Nikkor 105 lens at F:2.5. Exposure is 2 seconds. 4.5 magnitude Phi Opiuchus is just off the lower left edge of the frame. The asteroid was at magnitude 5.4 and was about 100 million miles from Earth at the time.

Taken November 18, 2008, about 10:00 p.m. with the 402 camera mounted on the Nikkor 28mm F:2 lens. Exposure is 5 seconds at F:2. Vesta was about magnitude 6.8 at the time and Mira, the famous variable is just off the right side of the frame, just below center.