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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Stunning 3D view of 13-mile-high mountain on asteroid - surrounded by landslide debris

A new image from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft shows a mountain three times as high as Mt. Everest, in the south polar region of the giant asteroid Vesta.

The peak of Vesta’s south pole mountain, seen in the center of the image, rises about 13 miles above the average height of the surrounding terrain.

On the right side of the image is a huge cliff-like slope - the Dawn team’s scientists believe features around its base are probably the result of landslides.

The image was constructed from information from NASA's Dawn space probe, which is orbiting the huge asteroid - or 'protoplanet' - Vesta at a height of 420 miles

The image was constructed from information from NASA's Dawn space probe, which is orbiting the huge asteroid - or 'protoplanet' - Vesta at a height of 420 miles

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2047765/Monster-asteroid-Vesta-mountain-taller-MOUNT-EVEREST-scientists-say.html

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