MSI Images of Earth: Lower Altitudes

These images were acquired by the multispectral imager on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Spacecraft (NEAR) on January 23, 1998, between 11 and 15 hours after the spacecraft swung by Earth on its way to the asteroid 433 Eros.
More about Earth Swingby Earth images from higher altitudes
Suadi Arabia from spacecraft at a distance of 430 miles   Click image for details
Southern Africa from spacecraft at a distance of 11,300 miles   Click image for details
Comparing an atmospheric vortex off the coast of Antarctica with another vortex discovered on Mars 20 years ago.   Click image for details
NEAR was launched on February 17, 1996. Its close encounter with Earth bent the spacecraft's trajectory out of the orbital plane of the major planets, and directed it toward the asteroid 433 Eros. The spacecraft will begin its approach to Eros in late 1998, enter orbit on January 10, 1999 to conduct the first-ever comprehensive study of a near-earth asteroid, and finally land on the asteroid in February 2000. Obtaining and processing the images and other data acquired during NEAR's Earth swingby provided a dress rehearsal for the mission's major activities at Eros.

Built and managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, NEAR was the first spacecraft launched in NASA's Discovery Program of low-cost, small-scale planetary missions.

30 Jan 98   visitors since 30 Jan