Scientists study first close-ups of giant asteroid

SCIENTISTS are busy poring over images of the massive asteroid Vesta, the first time it has been photographed up close.

The Dawn spacecraft last month slipped into orbit around the 530km-wide rocky body with little fanfare and began beaming back incredible details of the pockmarked surface that resembles Earth’s moon.

Since entering orbit, Dawn has taken more than 500 images, while refining its path and inching ever closer to the surface to get a better view. The probe will officially start collecting science data next week once it is positioned 2,740km from the surface.