Closest Images of Eros are Taken

The closest images ever obtained of asteroid Eros reveal an intriguing diversity of surface features, mission scientists said this week. A short engine burn last week set the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft in a circular orbit just 22 miles (35 kilometers) from Eros' center, giving the satellite its best view yet of the peanut-shaped asteroid. The latest images show the craggy contours of craters and a variety of differently shaped boulders. Some are nearly round; others are elongated or even blade-shaped. Such varied shapes might arise from differences in the strength and fracturing of pre-existing rock, scientists at John Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab said in a statement. During the spacecraft's 10-day orbit at its current altitude, mission managers plan to refine estimates of the asteroid's gravity and obtain more detailed photos and surface composition readings. Using NEAR Shoemaker's radio tracking equipment, the team will gather data it needs to design lower-altitude operations later in the mission, and learn more about Eros' internal makeup, scientists said. "We're looking for variations in density from one part of the asteroid to another," said NEAR project scientist Andy Cheng. "It's not entirely clear whether the density is uniform, so we have to get closer and look harder." The spacecraft's near-polar orbit will bring it as close as 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the ends of the rotating asteroid. Circling Eros at about eight miles an hour, NEAR Shoemaker is 71 million miles (114 million km) from Earth. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland, manages the yearlong NASA mission.
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