NEAR image of the day for 2000 Nov 17
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An Overview of the Saddle NEAR Shoemaker obtained this image of Eros' saddle region on November 15, 2000, from an orbital altitude of 197 kilometers (122 miles). Pointing southwest, NEAR Shoemaker's camera captured an area similar to that featured as the November 13 Image of the Day. That earlier, more oblique view conveys the overall shape of the saddle, whereas this image better illustrates small-scale landforms. The narrow linear feature in the foreground (lower right) is part of a long, complex structure that nearly wraps around the asteroid. The whole interior of the saddle has fewer craters than the rest of the asteroid, indicating the saddle was modified later in Eros' history. However, the region in the upper part of the picture (actually the southwestern part of the saddle) stands out due to its abundance of boulders.
(Image 0149707244)
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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.