Learning Space Ep. 16: Dawn Mission to Vesta
Channel: astrospherevids
Date: 2013-05-09

This week, we're talking to the Dawn team about their mission to the asteroid Vesta.

Dawn's year-long orbit of Vesta, its first destination in the main asteroid belt, revealed a mysterious world unique in the solar system. Roughly the diameter of the state of Arizona, Vesta is at once huge by asteroid standards (indeed, planetary scientists consider it a mini-planet), and yet small enough in radius that impacts make a whopping impression.

Unlocking Vesta's mysteries are two of Dawn mission's participating scientists:

Brett Denevi studies Vesta's regolith, the relatively fluffy surface layer, made of dust and rocky debris leftover by impacts.

Paul Schenk explores Vesta's craters, especially their weird shapes—often caused by that shifting regolith—and the tales they tell of Vesta's history!

Brett and Paul will show how their investigations of Vesta's weird and wonderful craters and pits tell the tale of the giant asteroid's history, as well as share the special role participating scientists have on NASA missions.

Links: 
Educational Materials from Dawn  http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnClassrooms/index.asp
Potato Light Curves! - http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnClassrooms/light_curves/
SAFELY playing with dry ice to make comets - http://www.astro.virginia.edu/dsbk/files/LessonPlans_comet-physical_v2.pdf
Vesta with a 3D printer - http://www.flickr.com/photos/noisyastronomer/8264523124/in/set-72157632235657354
Dawn mission - http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/
Vesta citizen science - http://cosmoquest.org/mappers/vesta/