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> Asteroid Eros seen by NEAR spacecraft

Asteroid Eros seen by NEAR spacecraft

author: Nasa/JHU/APL/Novapix

reference: a-ast02-00001

Image Size 300 DPI: 8 * 5 cm

This picture of Eros, is a mosaic of four images obtained by NEAR on February 14, 2000, immediately after the spacecraft's insertion into orbit. We are looking down over the north pole of Eros at one of the largest craters on the surface, which measures 4 miles (6 kilometers) across. A house-sized boulder is present near the floor of the crater; it appears to have rolled down the bowl-shaped crater wall. A large number of boulders is also present on other parts of the asteroid's surface. The surface of the asteroid is heavily cratered, indicating that Eros is relatively old.

Keywords for this photo:

2000 - ASTEROID - ASTRONOMY - BLACK AND WHITE - EROS - IMPACT CRATER - NEAR -