The spectral parameter maps of Vesta from VIR data

Abstract

Here we present the spectral parameter maps used in this Surface Composition of Vesta Special Issue. The use of spectral parameters have been important since the first ground-based observations of Vesta as they can describe single mineralogic aspects as abundances or change in surface composition. Mapping these parameters over the surface shows the mineralogic diversity across the asteroid Vesta. In this work we discuss the development of the maps, which are produced from the data of the Visible and Infrared mapping spectrometer onboard NASA’s Dawn mission. We describe how we processed the VIR spectra and how we produced the geometries of data acquisition. Spectra and geometries are used to design a Geographic Information System procedure to mosaic these data. We conclude the article with a description of the trends of the pyroxene-related spectral parameters across the asteroid, and some statistics on the spectral parameters of each map within the quadrangle-based scheme used in this special issue.