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Which meteorites have been traced to the asteroid Vesta?
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Meteorite
The Hoba meteorite, lying where it was discovered in 1920 near Grootfontein, Namibia. The largest meteorite on Earth and an iron meteorite by classification, it consists of a nickel-iron alloy and is estimated to weigh about 60 tons.
The meteorites traced to the asteroid Vesta are collectively known as the HED group, an acronym for the three types of achondrite meteorites that originate from this protoplanet:123
- Howardites: These are impact breccias, which are rocks composed of cemented fragments of both diogenite and eucrite materials.4
- Eucrites: These are basaltic rocks that formed at or near Vesta's surface, or cumulate rocks that crystallized at depth.4
- Diogenites: These are igneous rocks composed predominantly of the mineral pyroxene and are believed to have formed at depth within the asteroid.4
Scientific evidence, including spectral measurements from the Dawn spacecraft, has confirmed that these meteorites share a common origin on Vesta, reflecting the asteroid's complex history of melting, crystallization, and impact events. Additionally, the HED group has been linked to the mesosiderites, a type of stony iron meteorite.234