Sextilia Crater and Surroundings (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additonal process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunar Explorer Italia)

This Dawn FC (framing camera) image is centered on the Sextilia Crater in Vesta's Southern Hemisphere. Craters on Vesta are named after Vestal virgins, priestesses of the Roman goddess Vesta. The Sextilia Crater is a large, approximately 15 Km diameter and distinctive Crater, therefore its name was used to name the whole Quadrangle in which it is located. Sextilia Crater is distinctive because it has a fresh, sharp Rim which is also scalloped in shape. It also contains Rocky Outcrops of both bright and dark material. These originate along its Rim and sides and slump towards the center of the Crater. There are some especially large slumps of material on the right side of it. Surrounding Sextilia Crater is the Hummocky (---> wavy/undulating) Terrain of Vesta's Southern Hemisphere and some dark and bright Rayed Craters.

This image is in Vesta's Sextilia Quadrangle and the center Latitude and Longitude of the image is 39,5° South and 155,7° East. NASA's Dawn Spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on October 10th 2011. This image was taken through the camera's clear filter. The distance to the surface of Vesta is approx. 702 Km and the image has a resolution of about 70 meters per pixel. This image was acquired during the HAMO (High Altitude Mapping Orbit) phase of the mission.