Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Title:
The View from Low Orbit
Original Caption Released with Image:
This image of Eros, taken from the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft on May 1, 2000, is among the first to be returned from "low orbit." Between May and August, the spacecraft will orbit at altitudes near 50 kilometers (31 miles) or less. This will be the prime period of activity for some of the spacecraft's science instruments. The X-ray / gamma-ray spectrometer will build up maps of chemical abundances, while the laser rangefinder measures the shape of Eros to within meters (a few feet). At the same time the magnetometer will watch for indications of Eros' magnetic field and the near-infrared spectrometer will map rock types.

The imager will take pictures of the entire surface of Eros that capture features as small as 4 meters (13 feet) across. This particular image, taken from an orbital altitude of 53 kilometers (33 miles), shows a scene about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) across. Numerous craters and boulders as small as 8 meters (26 feet) across dot the landscape. The large, rectangular boulder at the upper right is 45 meters (148 feet) across.

Built and managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, NEAR was the first spacecraft launched in NASA's Discovery Program of low-cost, small-scale planetary missions. See the NEAR web page at http://near.jhuapl.…for more details.
Addition Date:
2000-06-10
Produced By:
Johns Hopkins University/APL
Mission:
NEAR
Spacecraft:
NEAR Shoemaker
Target Name:
Eros
Is a satellite of:
Sol (our sun)
Instrument:
Multi-Spectral Imager
Product Size:
477 samples x 372 lines
Primary Data Set:
NEAR Home Page
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Spectrometer
facet_what:
Infrared Spectrometer
facet_what:
Imager
facet_what:
Magnetometer
facet_what:
NEAR Shoemaker
facet_what:
Multi-Spectral Imager
facet_what:
Laser Rangefinder
facet_where:
Maryland
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_when:
May 1, 2000
facet_when_year:
2000
Image #:
PIA02905
UID:
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA02905
orignial url:

The View from Low Orbit