NEAR image of the day for 2000 Sep 20
|
Brightness Variations in the Saddle This montage of NEAR Shoemaker images, taken September 5, 2000, from an orbital altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles), shows the north equatorial region of Eros' saddle. This region is known to exhibit brightness mottling, which may come from exposure of regolith less darkened by the space environment. In this spectacular view, the western part of the saddle faces the Sun, highlighting brightness variations in the surface materials. This type of lighting also minimizes shading variations.
(Mosaic of images 0143581009, 0143581071, 0143581133, 0143581195)
Previous || Next || Image archive || TIFF image
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.