The Preliminary Investigation of Impact Craters on Asteroid (4) Vesta

One of the most common geologic features across the solar system are impact craters. With the use of the Dawn spacecraft’s Framing Camera it was revealed that (4) Vesta’s surface is dominated by impact craters of all sizes. The crater’s morphological and morphometric characteristics can provide insight into the target properties of Vesta which make them a prime target for this study. A preliminary database consisting of craters found in the south polar region (88.15°S - 80.05 °S) has been developed. These craters have crater diameters (D) ≥ 0.5 km and have been recorded over all longitudes at Vesta’s south pole. This preliminary investigation is part of a larger study to analyze craters with D ≥ 0.5 km over the entire surface of Vesta to further understand its target properties and compare these data with those observed for the dwarf planet Ceres. Various interior morphologies, such as central peaks and central pits, were choosen for this dataset as they can provide insight into the crustal strength of a body. Additionally, the data collected for these impact craters consist of the center latitude and longitude, crater diameter (km), crater preservation state, ejecta morphologies, central peak diameter (km) and height (km), central pit diameter (km) and depth (km), if applicable, and crater depth and crater rim height (km) utilizing both topography models. Upon initial analysis, 115 craters have been reported at the south polar region of Vesta and show similarities to what is expected for other rocky bodies with the exception of the ejecta mobility ratio which is lower than expected. Further investigation into all craters across the surface is still ongoing.