Skywatchers in Arizona get a special treat in July—and the best part is that you can see it with your naked eye.
The asteroid 4 Vesta is about the length of Arizona and the second-largest resident of the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. Only the dwarf planet Ceres is bigger, according to NASA.
Vesta is also the brightest of the asteroids. Its reflective surface is why it can be seen unaided in a dark place, NASA says.
Its size isn’t the only thing that makes it similar to Arizona. NASA says Vesta has an extensive system of troughs encircling its equatorial region that’s bigger than the Grand Canyon.
Bob King wrote on skyandtelescope.com that you’ll be able to spot Vesta in the southeastern sky shortly before moonrise until July 16.
Look for Sagittarius in a dark sky, and you’ll see what looks like a dim star near Saturn.