What distinct feature does the asteroid Vesta show that Earth's surface hides?
Distinct crustal, mantle, and core layers showing partial differentiation.
Vesta is significant because, unlike smaller, undifferentiated C-type asteroids, it is classified as a large protoplanet that partially underwent differentiation. This means that Vesta exhibits distinct structural layers, including an identifiable crust, mantle, and core, similar in structure (though smaller in scale) to terrestrial planets. Studying Vesta allows scientists to observe the results of early planetary differentiation processes directly. This is crucial because these processes can no longer be studied directly on Earth, as our planet melted and mixed its materials long ago. Vesta thus serves as an invaluable, preserved stand-in for the early chemical evolution of rocky bodies.
