Meteorites From 4 Vesta (HED Meteorites) For Sale

How many people know there is a minor planet called 4 Vesta, let alone that fragments of it have fallen to Earth?

HED meteorites are a subgroup of achondrite meteorites that are thought to originate from the 4 Vesta minor planet (formerly classified as a dwarf planet). HED meteorites are divided into Howardites, Eucrites and Diogenites, each from a distinct part of the differentiated areas of the microplanet. 4 Vesta is one of the largest objects in our solar system's asteroid belt, measuring 326 miles wide. These meteorites were ejected from 4 Vesta during violent collisions and found their way to planet Earth.

More About 4 Vesta | HED Meteorite Types

10 Items ($195 to $5,950)

Howardite Meteorite ( g) - NWA Main Mass #263666

1.93" Howardite Meteorite (202.6 g) - NWA 6556 Main Mass

$5,950

Eucrite Meteorite ( g) Slice - From Vesta Minor-Planet #266434

9.9" Eucrite Meteorite (379 g) Slice - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

$1,595

Eucrite Meteorite Slice ( g) - From Vesta Minor-Planet #302223

6.45" Eucrite Meteorite Slice (183.2 g) - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

$1,195

Eucrite Meteorite Slice ( g) - From Vesta Minor-Planet #266497

4.46" Eucrite Meteorite Slice (82.9 g) - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

$495

Eucrite Meteorite ( g) Section - From Vesta Minor-Planet #304273

2.25" Eucrite Meteorite (96 g) Section - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

$295

Fusion Crusted Eucrite Meteorite ( g) - NWA #302306

.88" Fusion Crusted Eucrite Meteorite (6.12 g) - NWA 11504

$195

Fusion Crusted Howardite Meteorite ( g) - NWA #266244

1.59" Fusion Crusted Howardite Meteorite (92.59 g) - NWA 6560

SOLD

Eucrite Meteorite ( g) Slice - From Vesta Minor-Planet #266435

6.7" Eucrite Meteorite (119.6 g) Slice - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

SOLD

Eucrite Meteorite Slice ( g) - From Vesta Minor-Planet #266496

4.3" Eucrite Meteorite Slice (67 g) - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

SOLD

Eucrite Meteorite ( g) Section - From Vesta Minor-Planet #304272

2.4" Eucrite Meteorite (129 g) Section - From 4 Vesta Minor-Planet

SOLD

More About 4 Vesta

4 Vesta is one of the largest bodies in the asteroid belt, situated between Mars and Jupiter. Named after the Roman goddess of home and hearth, Vesta is a fascinating protoplanet—essentially a "planet embryo"—that provides scientists with key insights into the early formation of the solar system. Discovered in 1807 by German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers, it is the second most massive object in the asteroid belt, only surpassed by the dwarf planet Ceres.

Vesta has a unique, layered structure much like Earth’s, with a crust, mantle, and core. This stratification places it in a rare category of asteroids called "differentiated bodies." This structure suggests Vesta may have partially melted at some point, allowing heavier materials like metals to sink toward the core. Its surface is marked by a colossal impact crater, Rheasilvia, near its south pole. This massive basin, created by an ancient collision, is so deep and expansive that it revealed parts of Vesta’s mantle. The impact also produced many fragments, known as Vestoids, which are strewn across the asteroid belt and occasionally reach Earth as meteorites, providing scientists with direct samples of Vesta’s composition.

Dawn mosaic of the asteroid 4 Vesta

Vesta has a diameter of about 525 kilometers (326 miles), making it large enough to appear as more than a point of light in telescopes on Earth. NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which orbited Vesta between 2011 and 2012, provided high-resolution images and data that transformed our understanding of this celestial body. Dawn revealed Vesta's surprisingly diverse surface, which includes bright and dark regions caused by a mix of minerals like pyroxene and olivine, indicating volcanic activity in its distant past.

Due to its size, shape, and internal structure, Vesta is considered a bridge between smaller asteroids and larger, more complex planetary bodies. Studying Vesta helps scientists unlock clues about planet formation and the conditions present in the early solar system, offering a rare look into the building blocks of planets like Earth.

Hed Meteorite Types

HED meteorites are a group of achondrite meteorites thought to originate from the asteroid 4 Vesta. The name HED refers to the three main types of meteorites in this group: Howardites, Eucrites, and Diogenites. These meteorites are composed of igneous rocks that formed from the crystallization of molten material, similar to volcanic processes on Earth.

Howardites are a mixture of eucrite and diogenite materials. They are brecciated, meaning they are made of fragments from different types of rocks that have been cemented together, likely as a result of impacts on the surface of 4 Vesta. Howardites represent surface material that has been shattered and mixed by collisions on Vesta. They often contain impact-melted fragments, providing insight into the asteroid’s surface processes.

Eucrites are primarily basaltic rocks, meaning they are formed from solidified lava. They are made up of minerals such as pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar. Eucrites are believed to come from the outer crust of 4 Vesta, likely formed from lava flows on the asteroid's surface. These meteorites provide evidence of volcanic activity and surface processes that occurred early in the solar system's history.

Diogenites are coarse-grained rocks composed mainly of orthopyroxene, a type of silicate mineral. They often have larger crystal sizes than eucrites, indicating they crystallized slowly from molten rock deep within Vesta's crust or mantle. Diogenites are thought to represent material from Vesta’s lower crust or upper mantle, providing clues to the internal structure of the asteroid.