Editing 4 Vesta (section)

==Physical characteristics==
{{stack|[[File:The Four Largest Asteroids.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Relative sizes of the four largest asteroids. Vesta is second from left.]]}}
{{image frame
|width=256
 | content = {{Graph:Chart
   | width=75
   | height=75
   | type=pie
   | legend=
   | x=Vesta,Pallas,Hygiea,Interamnia,Eunomia,other,Ceres
   | y1=259,204,87,35,30,841<!--total 2394x18kg-->,938
   | showValues=angle:0,format:.0f
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 | caption = The mass of 4 Vesta (blue) compared to other large asteroids: [[1 Ceres]], [[2 Pallas]], [[10 Hygiea]], [[704 Interamnia]], [[15 Eunomia]] and the remainder of the Main Belt. The unit of mass is {{e|18}} kg. Other objects in the Solar system with well-defined masses within a factor of 2 of Vesta's mass are {{dp|Varda}}, [[Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà]], and {{dp|Salacia}} (245, 136, and 492 {{e|18}} kg. respectively). No moons are in this range: the closest, [[Tethys (moon)|Tethys]] {{nowrap|(Saturn III)}} and [[Enceladus (moon)|Enceladus]] {{nowrap|(Saturn II)}}, are over twice and less than half of Vesta's mass.
}}

Vesta is the second most massive body in the [[asteroid belt]], although it is only 28% as massive as Ceres, the most massive body.<ref name="Baer2007"/><ref name="Pitjeva05"/> Vesta is however the most massive body that formed in the asteroid belt, as Ceres is believed to have formed between Jupiter and Saturn. Vesta's density is lower than those of the four [[terrestrial planet]]s but is higher than those of most asteroids, as well as all of the moons in the Solar System except [[Io (moon)|Io]]. Vesta's surface area is about the same as the land area of [[Pakistan]], [[Venezuela]], [[Tanzania]], or [[Nigeria]]; slightly under {{convert|900000|km2|mi2 ha acre}}. It has an only partially differentiated interior.<ref name="park"/> Vesta is only slightly larger ({{val|525.4|0.2|u=km}}<ref name="Russell2012"/>) than [[2 Pallas]] ({{val|512|3|u=km}}) in mean diameter,<ref name="Carry2009"/> but is about 25% more massive.

Vesta's shape is close to a gravitationally relaxed [[oblate spheroid]],<ref name="Thomas1997b"/> but the large concavity and protrusion at the southern pole (see '[[#Surface features|Surface features]]' below) combined with a mass less than {{val|5|e=20|u=kg}} precluded Vesta from automatically being considered a [[dwarf planet]] under [[IAU definition of planet#First draft proposal|International Astronomical Union (IAU) Resolution XXVI 5]].<ref name="IAU0601"/> A 2012 analysis of Vesta's shape<ref name="Fu 2013"/> and gravity field using data gathered by the [[Dawn (spacecraft)|''Dawn'' spacecraft]] has shown that Vesta is currently not in [[hydrostatic equilibrium]].<ref name="Russell2012"/><ref name="Asmar 2012"/>

Temperatures on the surface have been estimated to lie between about {{convert|−20|C|K}} with the [[Sun]] overhead, dropping to about {{convert|−190|C|K}} at the winter pole. Typical daytime and nighttime temperatures are {{convert|−60|C|K}} and {{convert|−130|C|K}}, respectively. This estimate is for 6 May 1996, very close to [[perihelion]], although details vary somewhat with the seasons.<ref name="Mueller01"/>