First fragment of Asteroid 4 Vesta’s mantle detected

We report the first detection of a fragment of Asteroid (4) Vesta’s mantle in the near-Earth and main belt Vestoid populations. The near-infrared (NIR) spectrum of near-Earth Asteroid (237442) 1999 TA10 shows band parameters, and inferred surface mineralogy, and pyroxene chemistry, similar to diogenite meteorites, which are believed to be fragments of (4) Vesta’s upper mantle. This strongly indicates that the impact that led to the excavation of 1999 TA10 was deep enough to sample Vesta’s upper mantle and provides constraints on Vesta’s internal structure that can be verified by the Dawn mission.