Minor Planet Vesta at Opposition (all night)

From time to time, the largest asteroids in our solar system become bright enough to be seen without special equipment by skywatchers. On Thursday, May 1, Earth’s orbital motion will carry us between the minor planet Vesta and the sun. On the nights around that date, Vesta will be visible all night long and shine at its peak brightness for the year of magnitude 5.4, which is well within reach of binoculars (orange circle) and small telescopes. Tonight, look for the asteroid as a medium bright speck located about two finger widths to the left (or 2.5 degrees to the celestial northeast) of the star Mu Virginis, which marks the lower toes of Virgo, the Maiden. Vesta’s trajectory over the rest of May will carry it retrograde westward between Virgo’s feet (red dotted line).