All objects with mass exert an attractive force called gravity. Overall, gravity is relatively small on Vesta, less than 3% of Earth's, reflecting Vesta's small size.
Gravity is least in regions where the topography is low, such as craters. On the other hand, gravity is stronger in regions of high topography, such as the peak at the south pole.
Vesta's gravity variations are not entirely explained by it topography. They indicate that Vesta's composition is differentiated: it has a core, a mantle, and a crust.
Click the play button to view Vesta's gravity field. The dashed lines in the video indicate Vesta's north-south axis. High-gravity areas appear in red and yellow, and low-gravity areas appear in blue.