Vesta is categorized as which type of celestial body?

Vesta is classified as a protoplanet. This classification indicates that it is one of the large celestial bodies that formed in the early solar system but did not undergo the full process of becoming a planet. Protoplanets are generally thought to be the building blocks of planets, formed from the accumulation of dust and gas in the protoplanetary disc around the young Sun around 4.5 billion years ago.

Vesta is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and exhibits characteristics similar to those of terrestrial planets, such as a differentiated structure with a core, mantle, and crust. This further emphasizes its classification as a protoplanet. Other celestial bodies, such as comets, planets, and moons, serve different roles within the solar system, with comets being icy bodies that develop tails when they approach the Sun, planets being large, dominant celestial bodies orbiting a star, and moons being natural satellites that orbit planets. Vesta stands out among these due to its unique formation history and characteristics, solidifying its status as a protoplanet.