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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
A Two-toned Crater on Asteroid Eros
Explanation: What lies beneath the surface of asteroid Eros? This image taken two weeks ago by the robot NEAR spacecraft orbiting the dark asteroid shows a kilometer-wide crater where some type of light material lies beneath some of the darker surface regolith . This light substance, seen on other photographs , may be relatively fresh material not yet well exposed to a darkening solar wind and micro meteorite impacts. As fuel wanes, NASA plans to end the NEAR spacecraft mission on February 12 with a spectacular controlled descent to the asteroid's surface . Although not designed to survive a landing, it is hoped that NEAR will be able to record and relay high-resolution pictures on its way down.
| Date | January 22, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: NEAR Project , JHU APL , NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |