VESTA. The name Vesta, with the archaic suffix-ta, is derived from the root *a1eu, "to burn." It encompasses two stems: stem 1, *a1eu-s, is found in the Greek heuo and the Latin uro, "I burn"; stem 2, *a1u-es, lies at the...

Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman mythology. Though she is often mistaken as analogous to Hestia in Greek mythology; she had a large, albeit mysterious role in Roman religion long before she appeared in Greece. Vesta...

NASA this weekend is set to launch a spacecraft that will journey to the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter, a mission that involves a rendezvous with two of the solar system's largest asteroids.Seeking clues about the birth of the solar system, the...

NASA took aim at the heart of the asteroid belt Thursday, launching a spacecraft on a nearly decade-long journey that will include two never-before-attempted close encounters.The scientific probe Dawn is on a 3 billion-mile course that will have it meeting up with an asteroid named...

Goodbye fiberglass. Hello carbon fiber.At least, that's the case when it comes to wind power systems.Fiberglass once was the material of choice for wind blades on turbines. But since carbon fiber is lighter and stronger, wind power turbine makers are using it to make turbine...