 Its maximum distance from the Sun is slightly greater than the minimum distance of Ceres from the Sun, though its orbit lies entirely within that of Ceres.NASA's "Dawn" spacecraft entered orbit around Vesta on 16 July 2011 for a one-year exploration and left orbit on 5 September 2012 en route to its final destination, Ceres.Researchers continue to examine data collected by "Dawn" for additional insights into the formation and history of Vesta.