NEAR image of the day for 2000 Jun 12
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Around the Bend Since the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft began orbiting Eros on February 14, 2000, the Sun has been moving to more southerly latitudes. Most of the asteroid that was in darkness in late February is now sunlit for part of Eros' day.
This image, taken June 9, 2000, from an orbital altitude of 51 kilometers (32 miles), shows part of the asteroid's western hemisphere that was dark in the mission's early stage. This side of Eros, where the large 5-kilometer (3-mile) diameter crater is located, is concave shaped. The surface slopes down and away in the lower part of the picture, then up for the top three-quarters. The whole scene is 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) across.
(Image 0135903227)
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Built and managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, NEAR-Shoemaker was the first spacecraft launched in NASA's Discovery Program of low-cost, small-scale planetary missions.
See the NEAR web site for more details. Feedback to Scott Murchie. Scott.Murchie@jhuapl.edu.