NASA's 'Robotic Emissary' Reveals New Details of Asteroid

In this image, obtained by Dawn's framing camera, a peak at Vesta's south pole is seen at the lower right. The grooves in the equatorial region are about 10 kilometers wide. The image was taken on July 24, 2011, from a distance of about 5,200 kilometers
In this image, obtained by Dawn's framing camera, a peak at Vesta's south pole is seen at the lower right. The grooves in the equatorial region are about 10 kilometers wide. The image was taken on July 24, 2011, from a distance of about 5,200 kilometers

NASA's Dawn spacecraft is about 188 million kilometers from Earth. And in a matter of days, it will begin gathering information about the giant asteroid Vesta. The spacecraft already has returned vivid and surprising images of the asteroid since it successfully maneuvered into a low orbit around Vesta last month.