 |
Eros image sequence reveals major landforms On February 4, the NEAR Multispectral Imager (MSI) took this image sequence as it approached within 4620 miles (7700 km) of Eros. The images were acquired every 15 degrees of rotation for one Eros "day", which is 5.27 hours long.
Eros's overall shape has been compared to a boat, a shoe, a peanut, and a banana with a bite taken out of it. This sequence of images is the first to show the major geographic features of the northern and equatorial latitudes of Eros. Particularly noteworthy is the large, raised-rimmed crater on the concave side of Eros, which sits opposite a major gouge or "saddle" across the asteroid's waist. The pictures to be acquired in the next few days will show these landforms and their relations even more clearly.
Anticipation and excitement pervade the whole NEAR team, as the first rendezvous with an asteroid is now unfolding. "I can't believe it - it's finally happening!" exclaimed one of the members of the mission's imaging science team.
(Images 0125057110 - 0125075950)
Previous || Next || Image archive ||
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. See the NEAR web page at http://near.jhuapl.edu for more details. Feedback to Scott Murchie. Scott.Murchie@jhuapl.edu.